Tranquillizers

Tranquillizers

Street name

Tranx, Blues, Downers, Eggs, Jellies, Mazzies, Moggies, Norries, Roofies, Rugby balls, Vallies

General Info

Tranquillizers can be divided into two main groups namely ‘major’ (which are non-addictive antipsychotics) and ‘minor’ (which are relaxants that are addictive and liable to misuse).

When taken the ‘minor tranquillisers’ can induce periods of calmness, relaxation and sleep and are often used to treat anxiety and insomnia. They are also sometimes used to control epileptic fits and to treat Alcohol withdrawals. These drugs are prescription drugs and are normally only dispensed by the doctor. Because of concerns about their addictiveness, they are mainly recommended for short-term usage only and when the problems are severe.

The most common group of minor tranquillizers are called benzodiazepines. These include Rohypnol, Valium (also called Diazepam), Temazepam and Phenazepam (although this latter drug is sometimes found in street drugs, it is not prescribed by doctors in the UK).

Effects

• Tranquillizers can cause drowsiness as they depress the nervous system and slow the brain and body down. Big doses can make a user forgetful and make them overly sleepy
• They can induce relief of tension and anxiety resulting in the user feeling calm and relaxed and can help with insomnia.
• They suppress fits.
• Some tranquillizers can cause short-term memory loss.
• Some people become very dependent on tranquillizers. When they stop they get severe withdrawal symptoms, including reduced concentration, tremors, nausea, vomiting, headaches, anxiety, panics and depression.

Risks

• They can be highly addictive, and medicinally are only recommended for short-term use
• Tranquillisers can cause psychological and physical addiction which causes severe withdrawal symptoms such as reduced concentration, tremors, nausea, vomiting, headaches, anxiety, panics and depression
• Tolerance increases over time, which means users may have to increase dosage either to get the same hit, or just to maintain the initial positive medical effect on their anxiety or insomnia
• Sudden withdrawal can cause panic attacks and fits which in severe cases can be fatal
• Crushing or melting tranquillisers that come as tablets or capsules, to inject the drug is extremely dangerous and sometimes fatal. The chalk contained in the tablets can cause collapsed veins which can result in infection and abscess. Injecting gel capsules can also be fatal when the gel solidifies inside the blood vessels
• Tranquillizers for example Rohypnol have been used to spike drinks with the intention of making the victim very drowsy or unconscious and unable to prevent a sexual assault
• Tranquillisers that are available on the street are either stolen from a hospital or from people who had them on prescription. Some though are imported from abroad. If they are imported you cannot be sure of the purity.

Class

Class C