Let's talk about benzo's
The headlines and news are dominated by language around the “Opioid Crisis” and we certainly do have one of those on our hands, but the headlines you don’t see are around the “Benzo Crisis” which is also quietly taking hold in our country. My son was highly addicted to a benzodiazepine and learned the hard way that detoxing from Xanax was far more excruciating than any other withdrawal experience. It’s so important for parents to know what’s happening and that if your child is “just taking Xanax” that isn’t good news - read on to find out why.
Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers, with the most familiar ones being Valium and Xanax. They’re some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States for conditions like anxiety, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal, seizure control and muscle relaxation. Between 1996 and 2013, the number of adults who filled a benzodiazepine prescription increased by 67%, from 8.1 million to 13.5 million, and the quantity they obtained more than tripled during that period.
But what’s happening today is unprecedented when it comes to teens using and abusing benzo’s, and specifically Xanax. Currently, Xanax is the tranquilizer drug of choice for 12th graders, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Additionally, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that young adults were the most likely to have used Xanax or the related drug lorazepam for non-medical purposes. In fact, more than 10 percent of adolescents ages 18 to 25 abuse Xanax. This is nearly double the rate of people ages 26 and over.
Addiction specialists say they’re seeing an onslaught of high schooler’s addicted to Xanax and other sedatives because many teens view Xanax as a safer alternative to prescription opioids and heroin — with similar euphoric effects. They’re also abundantly available from parent’s and grandparent’s medicine cabinets.
But addiction experts warn that the Xanax pills kids are taking can be just as deadly as opioids, especially when taken in combination with other drugs or alcohol, a common scenario for experimental teens at parties. And it’s much harder to kick the benzo habit. This is especially scary for the tween to early teen crowd - according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2016 report on drugs and alcohol, nearly 70% of adolescents who try an illicit drug before age 13 will develop an addiction within seven years, compared with 27% for those who first try an illicit drug after age 17.
But why Xanax and what’s the big deal if a huge percentage of American’s take them just to get through the day without crippling anxiety? Part of it has to do, ironically, with the messages kids are finally getting about opioids and the dangers that come with them. They don’t see a benzo being dangerous like opioids - and according to Sharon Levy, director of adolescent addiction treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital, “Adolescent benzo use has skyrocketed, and more kids are being admitted to hospitals for benzo withdrawal because the seizures are so dangerous.”
Overdose death data is showing the alarming trend of what happens when opioids and benzo’s are taken together:
Overdose Deaths in the United States Involving Benzodiazepines, 1999 - 2015
One physician described a patient who overdosed on clonazolam. It’s a highly potent benzodiazepine manufactured in the United States and elsewhere and sold as a “research chemical.” It can be shipped virtually anywhere and is so potent that it needs to be dosed at the microgram level — millionths of a gram — using a high-precision scale. Sound like another (opioid) chemical that’s highly potent and causing overdoses?
Just as overprescribing opioids contributed to the use of heroin and illicit fentanyl and related deaths, overprescribing benzodiazepines may be bringing about a new era of illicit and deadly benzodiazepines. If you or your child are taking one of these drugs and want to reduce your use or quit altogether DO NOT do it on your own - tapering needs to be medically supervised due to the extreme withdrawal symptoms associated with benzodiazepines. Most importantly, be aware that a teen taking Xanax is not safer than a teen taking opioids - have the conversation and get them help for either.