Sydney teens mix prescription drugs in latest craze

EXCLUSIVE: Teenagers are getting high on potentially lethal and addictive cocktails of prescription tranquillisers and alcohol in a trend that is fuelling drug-induced violence against parents.

EXCLUSIVE: Teenagers are getting high on potentially lethal and addictive cocktails of prescription tranquillisers and alcohol in a trend that is fuelling drug-induced violence against parents.

The anti-anxiety drug fix, paradoxically dubbed the “aggression aperitif”, is sweeping affluent Sydney­ suburbs — with stunned parents reporting attacks from moody and irrational teens.

Police arrest a youth on the northern beaches.

Harm minimisation charity Ted Noffs Foundation has reported a 30 per cent spike in the use of Xanax, known as “xanies”, among the 120 patients aged 13-18 who signed up for treatment at the Randwick rehab clinic in the financial­ year to July 2018.

And the UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre 2018 Drugs Trends report states of 100 regular drug users aged 21 surveyed in Sydney, 44 per cent used non-prescribed benzodiazepines.

Among 799 interviewed nationally, 41 per cent admitted­ to abusing the tranquillisers, which are exceptionally addictive when taken in high doses and over a prolonged period.

Sydney police and drug-monitoring experts have reported a rise in the drug trend in areas including Manly, Brookvale, Bondi and Randwick.

“It’s been a problem this year. Ice use has gone down but young people are now mixing Valium and Xanax plus alcohol and it’s making them incredibly aggressive, especially when they experience withdrawal,” Superintendent Dave Darcy said.

“The kids are getting the Valium from their parents and when they can’t they go doctor-shopping — they’ll find a way.”

Northern beaches domestic violence­ worker Anona Le Page has seen a rise in violence among drug-taking youths targeting their parents.

“Children as young as 13 are taking tranquillisers and they get violent and fight with their parents,” she said.

When mixed with alcohol, excessive use of benzodiazepines — commonly used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, and also known as the “date rape drug” — can trigger­ a loss of inhibition­.

Superintendent Dave Darcy.

Long-term users report outbursts of irritability, rage, aggression and anti-social behaviour such as sexual­ offences.

Xanax is a fast-acting benzodiazepine that can cause dependency within six weeks for four in every 10 users.

A 2014 analysis by UNSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre reported 82 per cent of the 412 sudden or unnatural deaths in Sydney presented to the Department of Forensic Medicine between 1997—2012 involved alprazolam, now renamed Xanax. Often multiple drugs were taken.

Ted Noffs Foundation clinical manager and drugs expert Kieran Palmer said that “the cocktail of benzodiazepines and alcohol is becoming increasingly common at our eastern suburbs clinic”.

“We’ve seen a higher use of Xanax, which is stronger than Valium,” he said.

“These drugs numb inhibitions and therefore the ability to make rational decisions can be lost — anything mixed with alcohol can cause aggression. Benzodiazepines are cheap, you get them on prescription, from dealers, or young people get them from their parents.”

Sydney University neuroscience students Gabrielle Brielle, 19, and Maddy Avery, 18, say tranquilliser drug cocktails are dangerous. They do not take drugs. Picture: David Swift

Educational and developmental psychologist doctor Rose Cantali­ has noted a “dramatic” increase in young people doctor-shopping for the drugs.

“Last year at the clinic I work at this problem didn’t exist — now we get at least one young person a week begging for benzos, hoping we will prescribe it when other GPs have turned them down,” she said.

“Valium is being used increasingly as well as Xanax — we call the cocktail the aggression aperitif, young people take it before going out to numb their senses, or when coming down from other, harder, drugs.”

Sydney University neuroscience student Maddy Avery, 18, does not take drugs but said she has noticed the tranquilliser trend is common among young people at parties.

“A lot of people my age take xanies, you hear them at parties asking, ‘Are you going to take a xanie?’.

“I personally never have but they’re popular … people take them with alcohol to chill out before a party or after.”

Fellow neuroscience student Gabrielle Brielle, 19, said: “The xanie and Valium cocktails are not a good idea. I see people taking them to get away from real world …

“The problem is when you come off them, you feel worse. Each time you take a xanie you deplete the serotonin levels and end up feeling more depressed so you become addicted — that’s why I’d never do drugs.”