An off-white powder expected to contain alprazolam (or Xanax) was also found to contain AB-MDMSBA, 4F-MBZP and N-cyclohexyl pentylone.

What does this mean?

AB-MDMSBA is structurally similar to some known synthetic cannabinoids, however not much is known about the subjective effects. The effects of synthetic cannabinoids can be very different from cannabis and are unknown.

4F-MBZP is a piperazine derivative which possibly has stimulant effects, but its exact effects and toxicity in human use isn’t possible to predict.

N-cyclohexyl pentylone is a synthetic cathinone. Cathinones can have a stimulant effect, including increased heart rate, chest pains, elevated temperatures, tingling in arms or legs and anxiety.

Your risk of harm is increased when mixing depressants (like benzos) with stimulants like cathinones and piperazines. The effects of mixing multipole substances can be unpredictable and cause strain on the heart.

Reducing the harm

Test your stuff! A global trend is that unregulated or counterfeit pharmaceuticals, such as benzodiazepines, are becoming more common and very convincing, making them hard to distinguish from legitimate pharmaceutical products. In some cases, there are several different substances inside a single pill – drastically raising the risk to users.

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 benzodiazepines or other substances instead of or in addition to alprazolam.

Don’t mix it with alcohol or other depressants. 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.

Be alert for signs of an overdose. Think someone has overdosed? Call 000 for an ambulance immediately