Tranquillisers are manufactured drugs produced to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. Prescribed by a doctor, they're designed to reduce anxiety and promote calmness, relaxation and sleep. There are hundreds of different tranquillisers around but most common are the Benzodiazepines.
Slang: Street names for drugs can vary around the country. Jellies, benzos, eggs, norries, rugby balls, vallies, moggies, mazzies, roofies, downers.
The effects
- Tranquillisers have a sedative effect. They work by depressing the nervous system and slowing the body down.
- They relieve tension and anxiety and make the user feel calm and relaxed.
- Big doses can make a user forgetful and send them to sleep.
Chances of getting hooked
Pretty high. Tranquillisers or benzodiazepines can cause psychological and physical addiction and, because tolerance increases over time, users have to keep increasing their dose to get the same hit.
The law
Tranquillisers can only be prescribed by a pharmacist. They’re controlled under Class C of the Misuse of Drugs Act. It's illegal to possess benzodiazepines, including temazepam, without a prescription. Unauthorised possession could result in a prison sentence of up to 2 years and an unlimited fine. Supplying, which means giving some to your friends, could mean up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Appearance and use
Tranquillisers come as tablets, capsules, injections or suppositories (tablets you insert up your anus).
They're often used as chill out drugs on the club scene. Some people use them to come down off acid, speed or ecstasy after a big night.
Prices can vary from region to region. The prices given here are an average of street prices reported from 20 different parts of England.
Around £1 for four 5mg capsules.
Purity
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Most tranquillisers that are available on the street are sold by people who already have a prescription for the drug from their doctor or they’ve been taken from a hospital or pharmacy.
The risks
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- Benzos in particular are highly addictive.
- Tranquillisers are a depressant and if taken with other depressive drugs like alcohol, can lead to an accidental overdose.
- Some tranquillisers have been shown to cause short-term memory loss.
- Injecting crushed tablets or melted down gel capsules is extremely dangerous and sometimes fatal. The chalk in tablets is a major cause of collapsed veins which can lead to infection and abscess. Injecting gel capsules can also be fatal when the gel solidifies inside the blood vessels.
- Withdrawal can cause unpleasant symptoms like a pounding headache, nausea, anxiety and confusion. Some people report withdrawal symptoms after only four weeks' use. This can be dangerous and require medical help.
- Sudden withdrawal after big doses or from some specific drugs can cause panic attacks and fits.
- There's been a big increase in sex crime involving tranquillisers like rohypnol. Victims' drinks are spiked with the drug, knocking them into an often paralysed stupor so they're either unaware of or unable to prevent a sexual assault.