Meilee Brown

Professor Ibarra
HLTH 1050
23 September 2016

NIDA Report: Xanax

Xanax is the street name for a prescription drug called alprazolam. It directly affects the
central nervous system. It is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety caused
by depression. Like most prescription drugs, it is often abused. Prescription drug abuse occurs
because the supplement has psychoactive (mind-altering) properties which in most cases are
taken advantage of. They are taken for reason or in amounts not intended by a doctor, or taken by
someone other than the person who is prescribed. They are addictive not only because of the pain
relief but more technically because of the opioid pain relievers in xanax. Opioids are a class of
drugs that include heroin as well as other powerful pain relievers. These drugs are chemically
related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. They are safe
when taken for a short period of time as prescribed by a doctor. However, if taken in a greater
quantity the user can become dependent and often leads to fatal overdoses. The risk of an
overdose is dependent on a number of things such as:
1. Current drug use
2. Prior drug use
3. When taken with alcohol
4. Quantity of drug use
5. Time frame of drug use
6. Accessibility
Xanax is cleared from the body by liver enzymes. If taken with other drugs, large quantities or
alcohol, it takes longer for the body to detoxify itself because they are broken down by the same

compounds. The drugs can augment the side effects of xanax when abused causing severe
drowsiness, fatigue, weakness and clumsiness. Ultimately an amplified drunk. The risk of
breathing difficulties, unconsciousness and unintentional death is dangerous with the abuse of
xanax. Fortunately, the user can be injected with flumazenil that is a specific antidote for an
overdose.