Sedative, Hypnotics/Benzodiazepines

Street Names: Reds, Rainbows, Yellow Jackets, Ludes, and Roofies.
Other forms: Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines and Tranquilizers.

This class of drugs is mainly only available through a prescription. Barbiturates are prescription drugs used to aid sleep for insomniacs and for the control of seizures. These drugs include Seconal, Nembutal, Tuinal, Amytal (blues, blue heaven), and Phenobarbital. There are also non-barbiturate sedative-hypnotics with similar effects but with different pharmacological properties. These include Doriden, Quaalude, Miltown, and Equinil. Being a Schedule I drug Quaalude cannot be legally prescribed in the United States.

The development of benzodiazepines or minor tranquilizers reduced the original number of prescriptions for barbiturates written by physicians. These drugs were initially seen as safe and having little abuse potential. Although the minor tranquilizers these drugs cannot be easily used in suicide as can barbiturates, the potential for abuse is significant. The benzodiazepines are among the most widely prescribed drugs and include Valium, Librium, Dalmane, Halcion, Xanax and Ativan.

A benzodiazepine that has been in the news recently is Rohypnol (Roofies). This drug is illegal in the United States but is widely prescribed in Europe as a sleeping pill. When used in combination with alcohol, Rohypnol produces disinhibition and amnesia. Rohypnol has become known as the "date rape" drug because of reported instances in which women have been unknowingly given the drug while drinking. When women are sexually assaulted they cannot easily remember the events surrounding the incident.

Below is the description used in classification of Sedative Addiction as in the DSM-IV (3)

304.10 Sedative, Hypnotic or Anxlolytic Dependence
Very significant levels of physiological dependence marked by both tolerance and withdrawal, can develop to the sedatives, hypnotics and anxiolytics. The timing and severity of the withdrawal syndrome will differ depending on the specific substance and its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. For example, withdrawal from shorter-acting substances that are rapidly absorbed and that have no active metabolites (e.g., triazolam) can begin within hours after the substance is stopped; withdrawal from substances with long-acting metabolites (e.g., diazepam) may not begin for 1-2 days or longer. The withdrawal syndrome produced by substances in this class may be characterized by the development of a delirium that can be life threatening. There may be evidence of tolerance and withdrawal in the absence of a diagnosis of Substance Dependence in an individual who has abruptly discontinued benzodiazepines that were taken for long periods of time at prescribed and therapeutic doses. A diagnosis of Substance Dependence should be considered only when, in addition to having physiological dependence, the individual using the substance shows evidence of a range of problems (e.g., an individual who has developed drug seeking behaviors to the extent activities are given tip or reduced to obtain the substance).

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