AlsoTapered
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2023
- Messages
- 3,076
Prisoners hospitalised after taking homemade drugs in Cloverhill Prison
Three of them were taken to hospital where one remains gravely ill, and the Irish Prison Service says drug use has soared once more following the pandemic
And so the trend continues. Some time ago I highlighted the fact that very high doses (by medical standards) of very potent benzodiazepines (such as nitrazolam, flunitrazolam and norflunitrazepam) are being normalized. I also noted that the nitrobenzodiazepines are known to be much less forgiving in overdose situations that other benzodiazepines.
So why are manufacturers choosing to make nitrobenzodiazepines? Well, they represent the most potent examples that can be produced via a relatively simple synthetic pathway and possessing a lot of a1 affinity, they have the largest dependence liability.
The MOST potent examples are in fact thienodiazepines which may or may not be covered by the recent DEA emergency schedule. But the synthesis is more complex, more costly and lower yielding. In short, flunitrazolam likely represents the single most profitable benzodiazepine on the planet right now with 1Kg being worth around $1 million (in bulk) and several times as much when retailed.
Just like fentanyl, drug agencies lack the experience and appropriate substitute drugs to treat people addicted to these potent benzodiazepines and given that the abstinence syndrome is so dreadful and can prove to be fatal, users are very likely to go to extreme lengths to maintain a supply.
