Did you know that “Xanax” has been trending on Twitter? In addition to the threads that talk about the various legitimate and beneficial uses of prescribed Xanax, there are many threads about recreational misuse of Xanax which highlight the very real dangers posed by this drug.
What are Benzodiazepines?
A quick internet search for Xanax will tell you that it is a controlled substance, a benzodiazepine like Ativan and Halcion, a tranquilizer prescribed by doctors to treat anxiety and panic disorders. These drugs work by slowing normal brain function, which may result in slurred speech, shallow breathing, sluggishness, fatigue, disorientation and lack of coordination or dilated pupils. Higher doses cause impaired memory, judgment and coordination; irritability; paranoia; and thoughts of suicide. Some people can become agitated or aggressive. All prescribed sedatives and tranquilizers come with a warning to not take with other substances, particularly alcohol, as the combination can slow breathing, or slow both the heart and respiration, and possibly lead to death.
Despite these warnings, the internet is also full of TikTok videos and other social media with the #xanax, showing alcoholic drinks “enhanced” with some crushed Xanax or users snorting crushed Xanax while out partying. Teen use of Xanax is nothing new. In 2018, the Pew Charitable Trusts published an article about the trend, highlighting the skyrocketing use of benzodiazepines by teens and the rising number of teens needing treatment for benzodiazepine addiction. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/08/24/teen-xanax-abuse-is-surging.
Why do teens use Xanax
Why do teens use Xanax or other prescription drugs? Probably because most teens think legitimately prescribed drugs are safe. And they’re easier to get than illegal drugs. Protect Your Kids! Prescription Drug Alert, https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1021/
Where do teens get Xanax?
Where do teens get their Xanax? Most often it’s from medicine cabinets in their own homes or those of family and friends. There are a number of studies that reveal that the most common prescription-drug sources for adolescents between 12 and 17 are family members and friends, including prescriptions from doctors that were written for previous conditions. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2019/07/22/prescription-drugs-at-home-are-fueling-the-drug-crisis-among-kids-and-teens-warns-new-studies/?sh=46937e212edc
Online availability
Both legitimate and counterfeit prescription drugs, including Xanax, can be found for purchase online. Anecdotal and direct evidence suggests that internet purchase is a method many teens use to obtain these drugs. Along with the exponential growth of legitimate online pharmaceutical sales has been the proliferation of illicit online pharmacies. These “IOPs” give unfettered access to prescription drugs and controlled substances, including potentially counterfeit products. Managing Illicit Online Pharmacies: Web Analytics and Predictive Models Study, Journal of Medical Internet Research, https://www.jmir.org/2020/8/e17239/
Drug sourcing has also moved beyond internet searches and into social media. There are reports of teens using Snapchat to source Xanax and other prescription drugs. Using these methods, teens can have the drugs delivered right to their homes. https://smmirror.com/2021/02/santa-monica-teen-dies-from-fentanyl-overdose-after-contacted-by-dealer-on-snapchat/
Counterfeit Drugs Laced With Fentanyl
Over the past ten years, the number of deaths from overdoses of benzodiazapenes and other controlled substances has held fairly steady or even declined. But over that same time period, the percentage of those deaths where the controlled substance was combined with a synthetic opioid like Fentanyl rose dramatically. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
The uptick in the number of deaths caused by fentanyl laced drugs caused law enforcement officials across the country to issue warnings. https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2020/08/06/alarming-spike-fentanyl-related-overdose-deaths-leads-officials-issue
What does this trend mean for teens and their parents? There are many heartbreaking stories of teens and young adults dying, often in their very own homes, from consuming a product they thought would give them a safe high but which turned out to contain a lethal additive. Most recently, TV host Laura Berman went public with the story of her son, Samuel. Sixteen year old Samuel Berman Chapman was found dead in his bed by his youngest brother, the result of a fentanyl overdose after taking Xanax or Percocet he had purchased from a dealer he connected with over Snapchat. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/us/therapist-son-fatal-overdose-snapchat/index.html
The private Facebook group his mother created for any parent who has lost a child to overdose or addiction has over 1.9K members.
What can parents do?
Talk to your kids about prescription drugs. Teach them the basics to keep them healthy and safe.
■ Respect the power of medicine and use it properly.
■ Recognize that all medicines, including prescription medications, have risks along with benefits. The risks tend to increase dramatically when medicines are abused.
■ Take responsibility for learning how to take prescription medicines safely and appropriately, and seek help at the first sign of a problem for their own or a friend’s abuse.
Recognize the signs of prescription drug misuse.
■ Fatigue, red or glazed eyes, and repeated health complaints;
■ Sudden mood changes, including irritability, negative attitude, personality changes, and general lack of interest in hobbies/activities;
■ Secretiveness and withdrawing from family Decreased or obsessive interest in school work;
■ Missing prescription medicines from your medicine cabinet;
■ Additional filled prescriptions on your pharmacy record that you did not order.
Control Access to prescription medicines.
■ Monitor your medicine cabinets and consider using a lock box for controlled substances;
■ Review credit card, Venmo purchases and internet deliveries
■ Properly dispose of unused medication
Do not take any use lightly. Accidental death can easily occur, even if a child does not have a problem with abuse of or dependency on the drug.
Seek Treatment if you discover your teen is misusing prescription medicines.
If you discover your teen is using Xanax or other benzodiazepines regularly, it is important to seek medical help for breaking the pattern of use. If stopped too quickly, benzodiazepine withdrawal can result in seizures and even death.