Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepinesⁱ are a form of prescription treatment medication known as tranquilizers  used to treat psychosis. Common names of these drugs may include Xanaxⁱ, Valiumⁱ, Doral, Ativan, & Librium.
Benzodiazepines are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in the USA and Canada. When humans abuse these drytypes with or without a prescriptions take these substances for their sedating or intoxicating effects, then use turns into an illegal substance abuse.

Some physicians prescribe benzodiazepine for the following medical conditions:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Alcohol withdrawal
• Seizure control
• Muscle relaxation
• Used for inducing amnesia for medical procedures
• Often given before an anesthetic before surgery
   

Benzodiazepines generally work on the central human nervous system and can produce some muscle relaxation and sedation, and lower anxiety levels on the patient. While there are more than 2,000 different benzodiazepines worldwide, only 15 or so have been produced and are currently FDA-approved in the United States.
 
Benzo's are usually classified by how long their treatment effects last.

Types of benzodiazepines therefore include the following:
Ultra-short acting: midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion)
Short-acting: alprazolam, lorazepam
Long-acting: chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam
 
Benzodiazepines Abuseⁱ:
This form of drug abuse is partially related to the toxic effects that they produce and also to their widespread availability. They can be chronically abused or, as seen more commonly in hospital emergency departments, intentionally or accidentally taken in overdose.
 
Death and serious illness does not result from benzodiazepine abuse alone; however, they are frequently taken with either alcohol or other medications and this combination of benzo's and alcohol can be very dangerous, or even fatal.
 
Benzodiazepines have also been used by some in alcohol as a "date rape" drug as it can markedly impair and even abolish functions that normally allow a person to resist or even want to resist sexual aggression or assault. In recent years, the detection and conviction of people involved in this practice has increased dramatically.