A BROKEN WHITE BAR PILL (Xanax press), (expected to contain alprazolam) AND TWO BROWN CAPSULES (expected to contain unknown benzos) were all found to contain 4′-Cl-deschloroalprazolam. The white bar pill (Xanax press) also contained flubromazepam, clobromazolam, and ethylbromazolam.

What does this mean?

4′-Cl-deschloroalprazolam is a new benzo that’s been found for the first time at CanTEST in these samples – both by itself and in combination with other benzos. There’s little information available about this substance, but it’s structurally similar to alprazolam and was first detected in 2021 in both Australia and the USA.

In the white bar (Xanax press) sample, this is the first time that this combination of benzodiazepines has been detected together at CanTEST. This particular combination includes a mixture of long and short acting benzos. In addition to this, flubromazepam can have an onset delay of up to 4 hours, which increases the risk of harm. Anecdotal reports from community members include long periods (up to three days) of blackout and memory loss.

Reducing the harm

Test your stuff!

Always assume that your drugs may not be what you expect. A global trend is that unregulated or counterfeit pharmaceuticals, such as benzodiazepines, are becoming more common and very convincing. In some cases, like these samples, there are several different substances inside a single pill or capsule – drastically raising the risk for users.

Alprazolam

Alprazolam is not readily available from Australian pharmacies. While other brands containing alprazolam can be obtained on prescription, ‘Xanax’ bars are not available in Australia. This means you can expect most if not all ‘Xanax’ bars to be counterfeit, containing novel benzos or other substances.

Don’t mix it.

Remember, some benzos can have effects that last multiple days after use. Start low, go slow. Try a test dose first and never use alone. Think someone has overdosed? Call 000 for an ambulance immediately.