The Problem
The problem of dependance with the benzodiazepines took some years to be recognised and the magnitude of the problem is still underestimated by many people. The myth that the drugs are essentially harmless persists in parts of the medical profession and particularly among the general public.
Earlier drugs
Historically, all of the substances used as tranquillisers have had addictive qualities. Alcohol is probably the oldest and has some features in common with the benzodiazepines. It enhances their action and it is unwise to use it as a substitute for Benzos when coming off.
Opium has been known since at least 5000 BC and it and its derivatives (the opiates) were used for killing pain and giving a sense of well-being. In the nineteenth century opiates were marketed in popular medicines such as Laudanum. These drugs are very powerful in their effects, especially heroin, but unfortunately they are highly addictive. They are also very poisonous.
Chloral hydrate was introduced in 1869. It is sleep inducing and became popular for use with children. Unfortunately it too is both toxic and addictive but it is still available.
The barbiturates were introduced in the early 1900's as a less dangerous alternative to the opiates. They do not reduce pain but relieve anxiety in low doses and induce sleep at higher doses. Addiction to barbiturates soon became a serious social problem but the main concern was that they were highly toxic. They soon became the leading cause of death by suicide.
Thalidomide was introduced in the mid 1950's as a sleeping pill and was initially considered exceptionally safe. In 1958 it was marketed to relieve morning sickness in pregnancy with disasterous results for the babies, who suffered horrific physical deformaties.
The benzodiazepines
When the first benzodiazepines were marketed in the early 1960's it was clear that the overdose safety margin was much higher than for the barbiturates. They were promoted as wonder drugs that could be prescribed for almost any complaint. Suddenly there was a "quick fix" available which required little effort on the part of doctor or patient and cost very little. It is not surprising that drug companies, doctors and patients were, and still are, reluctant to look for possible snags.
At first the reports of addiction to the benzodiazepines were very few. By the 1980's however the Committee on Safety of Medicines were becoming aware of a serious problem. They recommended that benzodiazepines should be prescribed for a period of two to four weeks only. They have also advised that these drugs are inappropriate for treating mild anxiety and should be used for anxiety or insomnia only where the problem is severe, disabling or causing extreme distress. It might be thought that this would have led to a rapid change in precribing habits but unfortunately this has not happened.
Many individuals were kept on the pills for far too long and then, quite commonly, were taken off them far too quickly. The results were horrific withdrawal symptoms which were often mis-diagnosed as serious medical conditions. The effect on specific people has been told in a number of books and on other websites. Attempts have been made to sue some drug companies but to date few people have received a full court hearing.
Newer drugs
In spite of the general atmosphere of denial over the benzodiazepines, their reputation has suffered somewhat. Perhaps more significantly, patents for some of the older drugs have run out. These factors have inspired a search for drugs which were not members of the benzodiazepine family but would have similar properties. Some of these are listed on our drug identification page.
The implication is that these drugs are free of the problems experienced with the benzodiazepines. Unfortunately, the evidence so far suggests that this is not the case. These drugs usually operate on some of the same receptor sites that the benzodiazepines use and their mode of action is similar. Although recommended for only short term use, this is being abused in many cases. It seems that we are all set to repeat the same sad scenario as with previous tranquillisers.
The current scene
There have been some attempts to cut the prescribing of benzodiazepines and to advise long term users to come off. Department of Health figures show, however, that in the UK there has been an increase in prescriptions for tranquillisers and sleeping pills of about one and a quarter million since 1994/5.
A problem largely unappreciated by the general public is the use of benzodiazepines by hard drug users. A survey of drug users in Bristol prison in 2001 showed that benzodiazepines were the third most used drug and were taken by 61% of the drug users.
Facts like these have led to a Beat the Benzos Campaign, conducted by a number of organisations and individuals and supported by Phil Woolas MP. The campaign has a number of objectives including the reclassification of benzodiazepines as Class A drugs!