Benzodiazepine facts

What are benzodiazepines?

Effects of benzodiazepines

Tolerance and dependence

Getting help

Benzodiazepine use in Australia

What are benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines (pronounced ben-zoh-die-az-a-pins) are depressant drugs.

This means that they slow down the activity of the central nervous system and the messages going between the brain and the body. They do not necessarily make a person feel depressed. Other depressants include alcohol, cannabis and heroin.

Benzodiazepines, also known as 'minor tranquillisers', are most commonly prescribed by doctors to relieve stress and anxiety and to help people sleep.

Some people use benzodiazepines illegally to become intoxicated or to 'come down' from the effects of stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine.

Other names 

Some common chemical and brand names

Benzodiazepines are known by their chemical (generic) names or their brand names. In each case, these are exactly the same drug, usually made by different companies. Some common benzodiazepines include:

Slang names

Benzos, tranx, sleepers, downers, pills, serras (Serepax^®), moggies (Mogadon^®), normies (Normison^®)

What do benzodiazepines look like?

Benzodiazepines usually come in the form of tablets and capsules, in a range of colours and designs. They are generally stamped with their name and milligram quantity.

How are they used?

Benzodiazepines are usually swallowed. Some people also inject them; however this method carries significant risk of harms such as collapsed veins, damage to organs, stroke and even death.

Effects of benzodiazepines

The effects of any drug (including benzodiazepines) vary from person to person. How benzodiazepines affect a person depends on many things including their size, weight and health, also whether the person is used to taking it. The effects of benzodiazepines, as with any drug, also depend on the amount taken.

There is no safe level of benzodiazepine use. Use of any drug always carries some risk—even medications can produce unwanted side effects. It is important to be careful when taking any type of drug.

Immediate effects

The effects of benzodiazepines may start to be felt within an hour and, depending if they are short, intermediate or long acting, they can last from 2½ to 160 hours.

Low to moderate doses

Some of the effects that may be experienced after taking benzodiazepines include:

Higher doses 

A high dose of benzodiazepines can cause a person to overdose. This means that a person has taken more benzodiazepines than their body can cope with.

Higher doses of benzodiazepines can result in drowsiness, over-sedation and sleep. They may produce an effect similar to drinking a large amount of alcohol. Other effects can include:

Very high doses of benzodiazepines can cause:

• slow, shallow breathing
• unconsciousness
• coma
• death (when taken with alcohol or depressant drugs such as heroin).

Coming down

As the effects of benzodiazepines begin to wear off, a person may experience a range of effects the next day such as:

Long-term effects

Some of the long-term effects of benzodiazepines are:

Other effects of benzodiazepine use

Taking benzodiazepines with other drugs 

The chances of an overdose are increased if benzodiazepines are taken with other depressant drugs such as alcohol or opiates such as heroin. Taking benzodiazepines with other depressant drugs increases the risk of breathing difficulties and/or overdose.

If benzodiazepines are taken with stimulants such as amphetamines and ecstasy, the body is put under a lot of stress as it tries to deal with the competing effects.

Using benzodiazepines to help with the symptoms of the 'comedown' after using stimulants can lead to a cycle of dependence on both drugs.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Read about the effects of benzodiazepines on pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Driving

Read about how benzodiazepines and other medications can affect your driving.

Tolerance and dependence

There is evidence that after prolonged use, benzodiazepines are highly addictive.

People who use benzodiazepines regularly can develop dependence and tolerance to them, which means they need to take larger amounts of benzodiazepines to get the same effect.

Dependence on benzodiazepines can be psychological, physical, or both.

People who are dependent on benzodiazepines find that using them becomes far more important than other activities in their life. They crave benzodiazepines and find it very difficult to stop using them.

People who are psychologically dependent on benzodiazepines may find they feel an urge to use them when they are in specific surroundings or socialising with friends.

Physical dependence occurs when a person’s body adapts to benzodiazepines and gets used to functioning with the benzodiazepines present.

Getting help

Treatment 

In Australia, there are many different types of treatments for drug problems. Some aim to help a person to stop using a drug, while others aim to reduce the risks and harm related to their drug use.

Find out more about treatment.

What to do if you are concerned about someone’s benzodiazepine use 

If you are concerned about someone’s drug use, there is help available. Contact the alcohol and drug information service in your state or territory.

What to do in a crisis

Always call triple zero (000) if a drug overdose is known or suspected—and remember that paramedics are not obliged to involve the police.

If someone overdoses or has an adverse reaction while using benzodiazepines, it is very important that they receive professional help as soon as possible. A quick response can save their life.

Visit the Better Health Channel to read St John Ambulance’s advice on drug overdose.

Benzodiazepine use in Australia

Statistics 

According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, in 2010, 3.2% of the Australian population had used tranquillisers/sleeping pills (including benzodiazepines) for non-medical purposes at some stage in their lifetime.

For more statistics about the use of amphetamines in Australia, visit our Quick statistics page.

Benzodiazepines and the law

Benzodiazepines are restricted drugs in Australia and only a doctor may prescribe them.

Read more about benzodiazepines and Australian law.

For information specific to your situation, contact a legal aid service in your state or territory.

National drug policy

Australia’s national drug policy is based on harm minimisation. Strategies to minimise harm include encouraging people to avoid using a drug through to helping people to reduce the risk of harm if they do use a drug. It aims to reduce all types of drug-related harm to both the individual and the community.

Find free resources on benzodiazepines.

This information has been adapted from the pamphlet How Drugs Affect You: Benzodiazepines, produced by the Australian Drug Foundation. For single copies of this pamphlet contact DrugInfo. Multiple copies are available from the ADF Bookshop.

Last updated: 24 January 2013