Alprazolam (Xanax): What is the truth?

In the past year, increased advertising of alprazolam and Xanax online, often referred to by the brand name Xanax, indicates that the number of young people using the drug is increasing. Most news stories briefly describe personal events or medical services, with little discussion of scientific evidence or real-world information.

With all the media reporting on the potential for drug addiction, there is a risk that the evidence is unclear or even non-existent, and any opinion on any drug may increase the satisfaction of some drug users.

PHE is always examining the available evidence and this blog explains what we know now, what we have done and what we need to do in the future.

What is alprazolam?

Alprazolam is a drug from the benzodiazepine class. Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat anxiety and insomnia and are also used to control seizures caused by epilepsy.

The most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine in the UK is diazepam, sold under the brand name Valium. You can buy xanax online, alprazolam is a faster-acting drug that is about 10 times stronger, which means it can cause anxiety quickly.

Like other benzodiazepines and medications, alprazolam can cause problems when taken without medical supervision. In short, abuse can lead to oversedation, fainting, and overdose. Long-term use can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms when reduced or discontinued.

Also, taking benzodiazepine with alcohol and/or other drugs can be dangerous. This is true when benzodiazepines are mixed with other sedatives.

Alprazolam is not available on the NHS but is available on private prescription in the UK. Illegal alprazolam, usually in the form of counterfeit Xanax tablets, can be purchased from pharmacies as well as from illegal websites and social media apps.

What about Alprazolam (Xanax)?

The media is reporting a growing number of personal stories, mostly of teenagers having problems with Xanax, and reports of people taking the medication for anxiety disorders.

Alprazolam is still debated in politics. In January this year, Member of Parliament Bambos Charalambous held the first debate in Parliament to discuss the misuse of the law.

Alprazolam (Xanax online) is use to described in the media as a major epidemic among young people. There is currently no evidence of this, but as we explain in more detail, there is some evidence that there is more. It is important to understand that drug use habits can change over time. Some drugs emerged quickly but later saw a decline in their use, while others persisted and caused serious and lasting harm. It’s too early to tell which category alprazolam falls into.

What do we know about the use of alprazolam?

There is some evidence that use is a growing problem, especially among teenagers and young adults. However, the data we found did not provide a clear picture of alprazolam use because some data covered all benzodiazepines rather than alprazolam specifically, leading to a variation in use. When you are online you can buy Xanax USA online.

Front Hospitals The UK’s 2017 admissions data shows the highest number of hospital admissions for benzodiazepine poisoning among under-20s. At the same time, the National Poison Information Service has seen an increase in inquiries regarding the treatment of alprazolam poisoning.

Many Xanax tablets sold in illegal stores are not suitable for medical use, they are actually fake. This is a big problem because these fake products can have different concentrations of alprazolam, making it difficult for users to decide how much to buy.

Information we received from drug testing center TICTAC confirmed that designs resembling Xanax tablets actually contained other drugs such as etizolam, another benzodiazepine-related drug that has caused a number of deaths in Scotland. TICTAC also found that “counterfeit” tablets containing alprazolam varied in strength, with some containing more than 10 times the actual dose of Xanax.

The adverse effect of taking the drug can be very dangerous for the drug, users cannot tell how much alprazolam (or any other drug) is in a pill until they eat and there is danger

What should local governments and health care personnel do

Inform young people, raise awareness about local problems and provide advice. Provide support and treatment to troubled youth.

Knowledge Network Drug Monitoring provides professionals and the public with concise information about alprazolam.