Today, most Americans are well aware of the opioid epidemic, which continues to grow daily. This awareness comes with good reason — in 2015 alone, more than 33,000 people died due to opioid overdoses, and half of those deaths were caused by a prescription opioid. With calamitous statistics such as these, the opioid epidemic hangs above our nation like a black cloud. However, a more obscure danger lurks in the shadows cast by the aforementioned crisis — the benzodiazepine epidemic.
Benzodiazepines, often referred to as “benzos,” are tranquilizers known for their sedative effects. Most of us are familiar with benzos such as Xanax and Valium. Benzos work on the central nervous system, and are prescribed by doctors for conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, epilepsy and seizures.
According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, some short-term side effects of benzos include impaired motor coordination, altered vision and depression. It notes long-term side effects as being impaired thinking and memory, disorientation, confusion, slurred speech, muscle weakness and some studies even indicate dementia.
Between 1999 and 2010, the number of benzodiazepine overdoses more than quadrupled, according to CNN. In 2011 alone, approximately 127 million benzodiazepine prescriptions were filled, making them among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States.
Despite the original intent of their creation being a safer alternative to barbiturates, benzos are far from risk-free. In fact, in 2011 benzodiazepines resulted in 357,836 emergency department visits, which is barely trailing behind opioids’ 488,004 visits that same year.
Actually, it is hard to ignore the blatant similarities between the opioid and benzodiazepine epidemics. Both benzodiazepines and (most) opioids can be obtained with a doctor’s prescription. The fact that they are prescription medications misleads many people to believe that they are safe and nonaddictive, which we now know is not true. Furthermore, benzodiazepine overdoses and opioid overdoses have increased exponentially in recent years, garnering their epidemic status.
However, benzos are especially prevalent among college students. While heroin and other opioids are typically a no-no in mainstream college drug culture, benzos are a popular choice for partying or dealing with the stress of school. A New York Post article tells the story of one college freshman who consumed 12 2.5 mg Xanax bars — 10 times more than than the typical dosage, which resulting in a DWI.
Even more dangerous than the potency of the bars readily available to college students is their interaction with alcohol, which is practically a staple for college parties. When benzodiazepines and alcohol are combined, they cause anterograde amnesia, also known as blackouts. During these episodes, some users commit both violent and nonviolent crimes or fall victim to crimes. College students are usually drawn to Xanax bars because of its additive effects with other drugs. This means that despite tolerances to other drugs, their effects when consumed with Xanax are much stronger.
While it might seem evident that benzodiazepines are just as dangerous as opioids, benzos might be even more menacing due to their extreme availability. As previously stated, benzos are one of the most frequently prescribed drug on the market and they’re even easier to get on the black market. On some college campuses, bars can go for as little as $2.
With the prevalence of benzodiazepine use and abuse, it is time to start acknowledging the problem for what it is — an epidemic of equal proportion to the opioid crisis, even though it predominantly targets a different demographic. Seeking out similarities between the rise of two drugs that have ravaged our country is paramount to creating effective treatment and prevention programs.
Morgan Manganello is a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience