A partial/broken white bar pill (Xanax press) expected to contain only alprazolam (Xanax) was found to contain bromazolam and clobromazolam as well as alprazolam. These are benzodiazepines or ‘benzos’.

What does this mean?

Benzos are drugs typically used to sedate and treat anxiety. Bromazolam and clobromazolam are new benzodiazepines that have strong sedative effects. There is limited information available about them – and they haven’t been used in human trials. Although from the same family of drugs, benzos can vary greatly in potency, onset and effects.

Effects of benzos can include drowsiness, dizziness, memory loss and impaired coordination. Effects and how long they last vary widely with benzos. Overdose risks can include respiratory depression, causing death. because of this, you should wait longer intervals before using another depressant (over 72hrs in some cases) to avoid the risk of an overdose.

Your risk of harm is significantly increased if using depressants such as alcohol, GHB or opiates with benzos, consuming multiple different benzos in one pill or by consuming multiple benzo pills.

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. Often these counterfeit products contain new psychoactive substances, many of which haven’t been studied for human consumption. In some cases, there are several different benzos inside a single pill – drastically raising the risk for users.

Alprazolam is not readily available from Australian pharmacies. While other brand containing alprazolam can be obtained on prescription, ‘Xanax’ bars are not available in Australia.

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