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Xanax Addiction


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xanax addictionThe short-acting tranquilizer alprazolam , better known by the familiar brand name Xanax (manufactured by Pfizer), is generally prescribed by doctors in the short-term to treat moderate cases of anxiety, panic attacks, and panic disorder. From the benzodiazepine class of drugs, its effect is to lower excitement levels in the brain and it has been around since the 1970s.

Xanax is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States and it can be habit-forming. In the US, the FDA lists alprazolam as a schedule IV drug, meaning it believes, relative to schedule III drugs, that Xanax has 1) a low potential for abuse and 2) can lead to limited physical or psychological dependence.

However, its abuse is on the rise. Among prescription tranquilizers, only diazepam (Valium) has higher abuse rates than Xanax, although it is more common for first-timers to misuse Xanax . Furthermore, between 1995 and 2002, drug abuse-related trips to US Emergency Rooms involving benzodiazepines increased by 41%, from over 71,000 to over 100,000. No benzodiazepine was reported in these cases more often than Xanax, which increased 62% in that time.

Typically Xanax is abused in oral pill form, but it is sometimes injected (which is particularly dangerous ) and is often abused in conjunction with alcohol - a very dangerous combination since both are central nervous system stimulants



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