What they are
Minor tranquillisers, or benzodiazepines, are man-made medical drugs that are used to treat anxiety, epilepsy and many other conditions and as sleeping tablets. They usually come as tablets or capsules and include valium (diazepam), ativan, Librium, mogadon, dalmane, rohypnol and temazepam.
Street names
Names include benzos and tranx, mogadon are sometimes called moggies, rohypnol are called ropies, roofies or rope and temazepam have been called green eggs, jellies, jelly babies, rugby balls, tems and yellow eggs.
How they are taken
Most are swallowed as tablets or capsules. Some, such as temazepam, are also prepared for injection.
Extent of use
Historically, they have been the most commonly prescribed mood-altering medicines. They were first prescribed by doctors in the 1960s and promoted as non-addictive and hazard free. By the late 1970s there were 30 million prescriptions a year for them in the UK. Problems of addiction and side effects saw the number of prescriptions fall but they are still commonly prescribed, particularly to women. In recent years they have increasingly been used as street drugs, especially by heroin users who cannot get hold of heroin, and by users of drugs like amphetamine and ecstasy to smooth come-down. Temazepam is sometimes injected, particularly in Scotland, by heroin users.
Effects of use
- They are downer drugs which slow down how the body works and reactions.
- Users often feel more calm and relaxed but also drowsy, lacking in energy and forgetful.
- Effects begin 10 to 15 minutes after taking tablets and can last up to 6 hours.
Risks of use
- The slowing down, drowsy effects increase the possibility of accidents, especially if people drive or operate machinery.
- Regular use can quickly lead to tolerance, so increasing amounts are needed to get an effect.
- Dependence can also develop quickly with regular use. Stopping regular use can lead to anxiety, nausea, inability to sleep, headaches and feeling very irritable.
- Sudden withdrawal from high doses can be very dangerous and lead to confusion and convulsions. Many long-term users find it very difficult to give up and have to reduce the dose gradually.
- A lot of tranquillisers have to be taken to fatally overdose. However, may people have died when taking tranquillisers with other downer drugs such as alcohol, heroin and methadone.
- Temazepam tranquillisers are sometimes injected and this can be very dangerous.
- Rohypnol tranquillisers are sometimes used to spike people's alcoholic drinks and may be behind some cases of 'date rape'.
The Law
They are Class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act and are illegal to be in possession of, without a doctor's prescription, or to supply to other people.
