Are benzos completely unknown in the UK/Ireland by most people?

[cowardescent]

I live in Ireland and it seems that most people I talk to my age and even the older generation, have no idea what benzodiazepaines are. The drug terminology isn't the issue cause I talk about xanax or valium and they still don't know. I've heard a joke online that if you tell police in the UK/Ireland I've taken xanax rather than alcohol, they'll let you go as they don't even know what that means. I experienced this when I was cautioned by police for forgery and he didn't know what diazepam was. Very interesting that a policeman doesn't know the most abused street drug.

Anyway my point was this seems to point to the extremely conservative prescription approach by GP's in Ireland/UK. afaik, the NHS doesn't even give benzos anymore except for patients on pallitative care. Same story with opiates.

But I don't see how this is great given that Ireland and the UK have the highest epidemics in Europe of cocaine, ecstasy, alcohol and heroin use.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

No in a word, they are increasingly commonly used amongst all strata of recreational drug users.

Traditionally they were mainly used in junkie circles in the uk but in the last decade or so the prescription benzo/opiate taking culture amongst younger people is bleeding over from the US quite a bit, and this is amongst mainstream media and circles.

Benzos and opiates are definitely prescribed still to many people, in fact opiate prescribing has increased massively. I would guess that benzo prescribing has reduced a lot, its certainly much harder to get them now than it was when I first started trying to blag doctors for them 16 years ago.

 

[Forever Changes]

I get still get Valium prescribed on the NHS, but it's more of a historical thing for me as I was prescribed them years go - these days most GPs don't even know who you are (or care) unless you happen to have a particularly concientous one. No one in my GP surgery has ever bothered to check up on whether I still require Valium so they just keep prescribing it, and as the prescriptions are all done online now you don't even see or speak to the doctors anymore

I'm curious what you forged?

 

[Forever Changes]

, in fact opiate prescribing has increased massively.

I'm not so sure - in my experience GPs are very reluctant to give out even crappy useless opiates like co-codomol, or at least that's as far as they're willing to go.

If you have more serious acute or chronic pain and have to go to hospital I guess you might be given stronger stuff, but I know of people with painful conditions who are are denied adequate painkillers that would really benefit them, just because doctors are so scared of anything opiate-related

 

[Soso78]

Yes, I’m in the uk and have no idea what these mysterious Benzos are that you speak of.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

I'm not so sure - in my experience GPs are very reluctant to give out even crappy useless opiates like co-codomol, or at least that's as far as they're willing to go.

If you have more serious acute or chronic pain and have to go to hospital I guess you might be given stronger stuff, but I know of people with painful conditions who are are denied adequate painkillers that would really benefit them, just because doctors are so scared of anything opiate-related

It is a fact that opiate prescribing is massively on the increase, it's something like doubled in the last decade. Can't be bothered to go find a source for you but that is reality.

Your experience doesn't necessarily equate to what is actually going on.

 

[Wolfsangel 88]

I like TCITH. He doesn't give a fuck.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Seems like I have overstated the degree to which it has increased, but it is deffo on the increase.

Britain facing its own opioid crisis with middle-aged women fuelling 60 per cent rise in prescriptions

Britain is in the grip of a growing opioid crisis, with middle-aged women fuelling a 60 per cent rise in the numbers of heavy painkillers, anxiety medications and antidepressants prescribed in the last decade.

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[steewith2ees]

I live in Ireland and it seems that most people I talk to my age and even the older generation, have no idea what benzodiazepaines are. The drug terminology isn't the issue cause I talk about xanax or valium and they still don't know. I've heard a joke online that if you tell police in the UK/Ireland I've taken xanax rather than al cohol, they'll let you go as they don't even know what that means. I experienced this when I was cautioned by police for forgery and he didn't know what diazepam was. Very interesting that a policeman doesn't know the most abused street drug.

Anyway my point was this seems to point to the extremely conservative prescription approach by GP's in Ireland/UK. afaik, the NHS doesn't even give benzos anymore except for patients on pallitative care. Same story with opiates.

But I don't see how this is great given that Ireland and the UK have the highest epidemics in Europe of cocaine, ecstasy, alcohol and heroin use.

I find this interesting and as I am not a resident of Eire I concede that you will always have a more accurate picture of public perception, but due to my mother coming from Dublin I have spent a considerable amount of time with my family over there since before I became self aware and while I was always a guest of the country, I still considered it as a second home when cozy in my grandparents house surrounded by my Mothers siblings and my cousins. After developing a particular interest in the emerging dance music among my 80's childhood pop music obsession, it was my oldest cousin who was the first person to push the rave scene on me and the concept of drug taking, which as a child I did not understand at all due to the amount of misleading heroin posters which while accurate in there portrayal of the destruction it causes while showing the cut of the average half dead looking type using the stuff. Why would someone be so idiotic and inject dangerous poisons was something I just did not comprehend until the whole rave thing, the ecstasy, my drug promoting cousin who being 5 years or so older than me was behaving in a manner I had only just discovered the justification of..

I am high so I'v gone right off the point * but to cut to a different long story my mother and all of her siblings have had serious addiction issues with all of the Dublin based members having benzodiazepine prescriptions which from my observation and first hand knowledge from doctor shopping in North Dublin are given out like sweets, at least this was the case up until 7 years ago when I stopped visiting after 33 years due to being tied down on a methadone prescription among other things, such as my mothers alcoholism. Her older sister who lives alone in Swords ended up on the wagon at the age of 21 due to developing a problem so early and despite remaining dry she has had a repeat Rx for alprazolam. My mom's older brother, who died from a massive heart attack while alone in the families beach house (Donabate)and had used cannabis and cocaine for much of his life, with a repeat Rx for bromazepam for good measure. My late grandmother and my cousin both have lifelong diazepam Rx's, my cousin being in his 30's and dependant on cocaine when first asking for it.

So, while the general public may not have that much of an awareness my experience is that they are more readily used than in the UK where asking them is generally seen as drug seeking behaviour. In general I think most people in the UK have a general awareness of their existence, having usually heard of 'Valium' and its uses.

* I left the rant in as Im just sick of deleting messages that I spend ages writing before realising what pointless stream of conciousness pieces or rubbish they are but its Saturday so I will just let this one rock on.

 

[SlowandFastandSlow]

Lol what? Unknown? Really?

Ma's little helpers?

Blue vallis?

Ever been to a free rave? Used to be guys walking round with pillow cases full of em for landing gear

 

[Wolfsangel 88]

I find this interesting and as I am not a resident of Eire I concede that you will always have a more accurate picture of public perception, but due to my mother coming from Dublin I have spent a considerable amount of time with my family over there since before I became self aware and while I was always a guest of the country, I still considered it as a second home when cozy in my grandparents house surrounded by my Mothers siblings and my cousins. After developing a particular interest in the emerging dance music among my 80's childhood pop music obsession, it was my oldest cousin who was the first person to push the rave scene on me and the concept of drug taking, which as a child I did not understand at all due to the amount of misleading heroin posters which while accurate in there portrayal of the destruction it causes while showing the cut of the average half dead looking type using the stuff. Why would someone be so idiotic and inject dangerous poisons was something I just did not comprehend until the whole rave thing, the ecstasy, my drug promoting cousin who being 5 years or so older than me was behaving in a manner I had only just discovered the justification of..

I am high so I'v gone right off the point * but to cut to a different long story my mother and all of her siblings have had serious addiction issues with all of the Dublin based members having benzodiazepine prescriptions which from my observation and first hand knowledge from doctor shopping in North Dublin are given out like sweets, at least this was the case up until 7 years ago when I stopped visiting after 33 years due to being tied down on a methadone prescription among other things, such as my mothers alcoholism. Her older sister who lives alone in Swords ended up on the wagon at the age of 21 due to developing a problem so early and despite remaining dry she has had a repeat Rx for alprazolam. My mom's older brother, who died from a massive heart attack while alone in the families beach house (Donabate)and had used cannabis and cocaine for much of his life, with a repeat Rx for bromazepam for good measure. My late grandmother and my cousin both have lifelong diazepam Rx's, my cousin being in his 30's and dependant on cocaine when first asking for it.

So, while the general public may not have that much of an awareness my experience is that they are more readily used than in the UK where asking them is generally seen as drug seeking behaviour. In general I think most people in the UK have a general awareness of their existence, having usually heard of 'Valium' and its uses.

* I left the rant in as Im just sick of deleting messages that I spend ages writing before realising what pointless stream of conciousness pieces or rubbish they are but its Saturday so I will just let this one rock on.

Booooring.Booooooorrrring.

 

[Tranced]

No in a word, they are increasingly commonly used amongst all strata of recreational drug users.

Traditionally they were mainly used in junkie circles in the uk but in the last decade or so the prescription benzo/opiate taking culture amongst younger people is bleeding over from the US quite a bit, and this is amongst mainstream media and circles.

Exactly this. Benzos were more of a junkie circle thing, and then you had the people like me who were the clubbers but knew & revered their benefits because they'd read about them online and figured out how to get them posted from the Philippines/etc, next you had the people who were competent enough to order RC benzos from legal UK RC sites and/or sell them to their mates, and now you have the combination of mass shipments of various RC benzo powders moving round the EU and the darkweb drug markets leading to the once reputable knockoff 2mg xanax bars becoming 2mg etitzolam bars, then those turning into the widely available and cheap "RC benzo bars" which are incredibly popular and well known amongst the youth, leading to calls of a "xanax" crisis in the UK and debates in the House of Commons, etc etc.

Article:

Xanax misuse: doctors warn of 'emerging crisis' as UK sales rise

UK makes up 22% of sales of the highly addictive anti-anxiety drug on the dark web

www.theguardian.com

Ever been to a free rave? Used to be guys walking round with pillow cases full of em for landing gear

Never heard the term landing gear, but do now love it.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Ha, exactly that.

'Xanax' bars are everywhere now, all over facebook/insta too not just the darkweb. I've got a few upstairs I bought from a whatsapp dealer I was linked by someone I know through another forum, bought some others from a facebook page last year. Almost certainly none of them containing alprazolam.

+1 on the landing gear:D

Region is a big thing in this discussion too, Scotland for instance fucking love a benzo.

 

[Tranced]

People buying off instagram just blows my mind.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

Ha, exactly that.

'Xanax' bars are everywhere now, all over facebook/insta too not just the darkweb. I've got a few upstairs I bought from a whatsapp dealer I was linked by someone I know through another forum, bought some others from a facebook page last year. Almost certainly none of them containing alprazolam.

+1 on the landing gear:D

Region is a big thing in this discussion too, Scotland for instance fucking love a benzo.

go on, send a bit to wedinos, have a gander at what's in them, always pleasant to actually know what we're consuming eh, it's free

 

[Liverlee]

I have a cousin in Cork who was smoking heroin for two years, eventually it was having less and less effect so he started taking Xanax to heighten the does and that’s when the shit hit the fan. When he was on heroin he was grand, could function normally but as soon as he started on those Xanax bars he turned into a zombie. He’s been off both now for about 6 months but says it’s becoming a more and more come a problem.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

I remember the days of rxpuravida and topix forum if you wanted to buy benzos without leaving the house lol

go on, send a bit to wedinos, have a gander at what's in them, always pleasant to actually know what we're consuming eh, it's free

Yeah I'll do that actually, good idea.

 

[furrball]

Heh, up north at least, dizzies and tazzies were handed out like candy in the 80s & 90s to anyone claiming stress/depression from the troubles. Used to be the standard way of dealing with a 6am Sunday "End of the Weekend".

 

[Wilson Wilson]

In my experience the older generations know about Vallies, Moggies, and jellies.

The youngins know about Xanax and Valium.

Until recently downers were no longer in fashion amongst young drug users but the Xanax hype from the US has influenced things a lot. It's all the rage right now so benzos have made a comeback.

Codeine is also cool now for the same reason which has pissed me off because it's now a right pain to get a bottle of codeine linctus.

Can't help but find it funny when I was buying etizolam by the hundreds and a few boxes of Actavis diazepam here and there (back when you could easily get that stuff without it being fake) at uni and no one had any clue why I liked them so much because they only liked uppers and Mandy. They'd take Valium or etiz for comedowns but didn't see benzos as recreational.

They asked what the fuck etizolam is. I told them "it's like Xanax." They were like "what's Xanax?"

If I was at uni today I'd be the coolest kid in halls

 

[Forever Changes]

. They'd take Valium or etiz for comedowns but didn't see benzos as recreational.

Benzos don't seem to be that recreational for me - blacking out and waking up hours later isn't really fun. I've tried to find that 'sweet spot' where you can get a bit wasted but are still able to do things without going overboard and blacking out, but haven't found it yet

What are Moggies btw?