Silent Pharma Killer

Words by Emma Goldrick

Benzodiazepine’s such as Valium and Xanax are traditionally prescribed to treat conditions such as insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, muscle tension and a range of other acute emergencies. Although these drugs have legitimate applications in treatment and a place within therapeutics, they are being increasingly abused by students across the country. The widespread use of benzodiazepines recreationally has led to an increase in student overdoses, the sharing of prescriptions and doctor shopping. The medications guidelines state that the drug should not be used consistently otherwise it results in habit-forming and drug-seeking behaviour. However, with 6 million prescriptions handed out in Australia last year, the use and duration of benzodiazepines are leading to a prescription drug epidemic. 

The ABS found that benzodiazepines which include medications such as diazepam (Valium) and temazepam (Normison) were the most common substance overdose in 2016, ahead of heroin, methadone and oxycodone. Benzodiazepine or ‘benzos’ as they are commonly referred to are often prescribed by doctors without in-depth analysis and diagnosis of the individual's condition, often with little warning from doctors about the incredibly addictive nature of them. Students from a young age are often referred on to one of these medications to deal with the stress and anxiety of formative years, this can lead to a deadly cycle of addiction. When benzos are used, even at a low dosage consistently for a few consecutive weeks they can lead to physiological dependence, leading to a battle of tolerance and withdrawal. An individuals tolerance build-up results in the need for higher dosages to reach the same effect. Once patients are consistently using large quantities of the medication they cannot simply just ‘quit’ or ‘stop’ otherwise their bodies are likely to go into shock. Rather patients and doctors must construct a strict tapering down dosage which allows the body to slowly rely on the medication less until it is completely ceased. This stage of withdrawal often results in severe reactions, including many the medication was originally used to treat i.e. insomnia, panic attacks and tension. 

Last financial year saw 6 million scripts of benzodiazepine medication handed out through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). These 6 million prescriptions do not even account for scripts written at hospitals or privately, which has been estimated in the millions also. Medical practitioners are able to use private prescriptions to bypass medicare and PBS regulates that monitor the time intervals and quantities prescribed to patients. While clinical guidelines recommend the use of the medication for a maximum of two to four weeks on an ‘as needed’ basis, patients often begin to use the drug as a preventive rather than an occasional reliever. 

While the legitimate use of benzos and its place in managing acute conditions is not disputable, the over-prescription, quantity and duration that the medication is being handed out have devastating results for Australians. The easy accessibility of the medication and its skyrocketing use as a recreational drug, not only undermines its legitimate use but poses a danger.  The overprescription of habit-forming medications creates a blanket solution and often creates further problems than other forms of intervention. It is important for society to work towards implementing other non-drug related solutions to the anguish suffered by individuals.