Xanax or benzo addiction in teens is increasing, with fake copies ‘stronger and more dangerous’

Parents are being advised to look out for a new drug trend that is on the increase, which is highly addictive and can cause memory loss and blackouts. See the warning signs.

It was originally developed to help people with insomnia or anxiety, but an increasing number of kids are getting high on Xanax – or “stronger and more dangerous” fake versions of the drug.

Experts are warning that benzodiazepines – the family of drugs which includes Xanax – are so addictive kids are getting hooked quickly.

But getting off them can be as hard as opioids or alcohol.

A leading clinic for teens said children entering rehab with benzos as their primary drug problem has tripled in the past five years.

Meanwhile, fake benzos, some of which have been found to contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, are flooding into Australia with kids sourcing them via social media.

Kieran Palmer, psychologist and manager at Ted Noffs Foundation. The foundation is dealing with the increase in kids coming in needing help for addiction to benzodiazepines. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Psychologist Kieran Palmer, who works at the rehab clinic Ted Noffs said in their Sydney clinic children undergoing rehab with a primary addiction to benzos jumped from 4.2 per cent in 2016 to 2019, to 13.25 per cent in 2019 to 2022.

At its Canberra facility it jumped from 1.7 per cent to 8 per cent.

There were 40 overdose deaths in Australia associated with fake benzos between 2015 and 2021.

In Victoria, rates of unintentional fatal overdoses from using the drug have risen from 1.8 to 3.6 deaths per 100,000 population between 2013 and 2020. In NSW it’s gone from

1.1 to 1.9 deaths per 100,000 and Queensland, 1.7 to 1.9 per 100,000.

The Penington Institute found that the number of unintentional deaths from benzos in South Australia between 2016 and 2020 was 1.5 per 100,000.

Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory combined went from 1.5 to 2.3 deaths per 100,000 population.

Police released this photo after seizing approximately 10,000 white tablets labelled 'Xanax’. Picture: Supplied

“We have observed over the last two and a half years a pretty steady increase across the board of benzo use of which Xanax is one of the most popular, along with Valium,” Mr Palmer said.

“It’s not an anomaly. It’s really stuck around.”

He said along with a rise in benzos as a primary concern, there are more teen inpatients with another dependency, such as methamphetamines, using benzos as a come down. Sometimes kids are mixing benzos with alcohol, which can be very dangerous.

“The difficulty is the treatment side of things,” Mr Palmer said. “If they are really dependent it’s a very, very difficult drug to come off.

“It can have some really strong, nasty side effects, similar to opioids and alcohol.

“Physically it can be awful, people can get stomach problems.

Kieran Palmer has seen an increase in kids taking ‘benzos’. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“Emotionally it can be very hard for people to manage the ups and downs with coming off drugs like Xanax in particular because it is so good at numbing everything out.

“It’s like throwing a big, warm doona over you, so coming off it they feel everything really, really strongly.

“Trying to deal with everyday life can become really, really challenging, which is why there is a high relapse rate. It can take people a few goes.

“It’s also not medically safe to go cold turkey, so they have to be weaned off. It’s tricky.”

Alcohol and Drug Foundation Evidence Manager Eleanor Costello said parents needed to be aware of benzos abuse and the foundation offers tips on how to broach the subject of drugs with children.

“Parents need to have open lines of communication with their kids and to take the time to find out what’s happening at school,” Ms Costello said.

adf.org.au

Drug Info Line: 1300 858584

Fake Xanax is on the rise.

Is your child on benzos?

Benzos are minor tranquillisers and come in several forms, pills, tablets, powder and liquid. The fake versions are often made to look and packaged like those produced by pharmaceutical companies.

Kids may refer to them as tranx, sleepers, downers, pills, xannies, serras, moggies and normies.

Signs they may have taken benzos include euphoria, calmness, impaired thinking or memory loss, slurred speech or stuttering, confusion, drowsiness, blurred vision, poor co-ordination, dizziness, nausea or loss of appetite.

If taking in large quantities, or mixing with other drugs like alcohol, the user is in danger of an unintentional overdose. Signs they may have mixed drugs include acting jittery, being aggressive, suffering mood swings, blackouts, slow shallow breathing, falling unconscious or into a coma. Fake benzos are also stronger and more unpredictable.

Long-term effects include anxiety and depression, irritability, paranoia and aggression,

personality change, weakness, lethargy and lack of motivation, sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, skin rashes, weight gain and headaches.

Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few weeks to a year and include headaches, aching or twitching muscles, dizziness and tremors, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, bizarre dreams, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, poor concentration, anxiety and irritability, altered perception, heightening of senses, delusions, hallucinations and paranoia seizures.

If you are worried go to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation homepage, adf.org.au, and search for Path2Help.

Source: Alcohol and Drug Foundation