What Parents Need to Know about Xanax

Xanax is a brand name for alprazolam, a benzodiazepine medicine used in some countries to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Although genuine alprazolam is a prescription medicine, tablets bought illicitly can present very different risks because their contents and strength may be unknown.

For parents, the most useful approach is to understand what Xanax is, recognise signs that may warrant concern and know how to have an open conversation about drug use without relying on assumptions about how a young person will behave.

Contents

• What is Xanax?
• Why illicit Xanax can be particularly risky
• Xanax, alcohol and other drugs
• Possible signs of benzodiazepine use
• Dependence and withdrawal
• Talking to your child about Xanax
• Xanax and drug testing
• When to get help

What is Xanax?

Xanax contains alprazolam and belongs to the benzodiazepine family of drugs, which also includes medicines such as diazepam. Benzodiazepines depress activity in the central nervous system and can cause relaxation, drowsiness and reduced anxiety.

Alprazolam is not routinely prescribed in the UK. Under UK controlled-drug legislation, alprazolam is a Class C controlled drug. Possessing it without lawful authority or supplying it illegally can therefore have legal consequences.

The name “Xanax” is also commonly used for illicit tablets sold as alprazolam. Their appearance alone cannot confirm what they contain.

Why Illicit Xanax Can Be Particularly Risky

One of the biggest concerns with tablets bought from dealers, social media or other unregulated sources is that users cannot reliably know what they contain. Counterfeit tablets may contain alprazolam in an unexpected strength, a different benzodiazepine or another substance altogether.

UK drug information services have warned that counterfeit medicines can contain unexpectedly potent substances. This means a tablet that looks like a pharmaceutical product should not be assumed to be genuine or safe.

For current harm-reduction information about benzodiazepines, see FRANK’s benzodiazepine guidance.

Xanax, Alcohol and Other Drugs

Combining benzodiazepines with alcohol is particularly dangerous because both depress the central nervous system. Together they can cause much greater drowsiness, impaired coordination, loss of consciousness and potentially dangerous breathing problems.

Risks can also increase when benzodiazepines are taken alongside opioids or other sedating drugs. The contents of an illicit tablet may themselves be uncertain, which makes mixing substances even less predictable.

If someone becomes difficult to wake, has unusually slow or irregular breathing, loses consciousness or appears seriously unwell after taking drugs, seek emergency medical help.

Possible Signs of Benzodiazepine Use

There is no single behaviour that proves somebody has taken Xanax or another benzodiazepine. Possible effects can include:

• unusual drowsiness or sleeping for longer than normal
• slurred speech
• poor coordination or appearing unsteady
• slower reactions
• confusion or difficulty concentrating
• memory problems
• changes in mood or behaviour

These signs can have many causes, including illness, prescribed medication, alcohol or other drugs. They should therefore be treated as reasons to find out more rather than proof of drug use.

Dependence and Withdrawal

Benzodiazepines can lead to tolerance and dependence, particularly when they are used repeatedly or for prolonged periods. Someone who has become dependent may experience withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop taking them.

Withdrawal can include anxiety, agitation, sleep problems and tremor. More severe withdrawal can be medically serious, so somebody who has been taking benzodiazepines regularly should seek professional medical advice rather than stopping abruptly without support.

Talking to Your Child About Xanax

Conversations about drugs are generally more useful when they are calm, factual and ongoing rather than taking place only when a parent suspects something has happened.

Ask what your child has heard about Xanax or other prescription drugs, including what friends or people online say about them. This can provide an opportunity to correct the misconception that a tablet must be safe simply because it resembles prescription medicine.

It is particularly worth explaining that tablets obtained outside a legitimate pharmacy may not contain what the seller claims. Encourage your child to tell you if they or a friend has taken something and feels unwell, even if they are worried about getting into trouble.

Xanax and Drug Testing

Benzodiazepines can be screened for using urine drug tests, although detection varies according to the particular benzodiazepine, the test being used, dose, frequency of use and individual metabolism.

A screening test should not be treated as a complete diagnosis. Different benzodiazepines and their metabolites can behave differently in immunoassay tests, and any important or unexpected result may require confirmation through an appropriate laboratory.

When to Get Help

If you are worried about a young person’s drug use, try to establish what has been taken, how much, when it was taken and whether other substances were involved. Medical professionals can provide appropriate advice where there are concerns about dependence, withdrawal or a person’s physical or mental health.

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having difficulty breathing, has a seizure or appears seriously unwell after taking Xanax or any unknown tablet, call 999 immediately.

For confidential information about drugs and their effects, parents and young people can also use FRANK.

Conclusion

Xanax deserves particular caution because tablets obtained illicitly may be counterfeit and their contents cannot be reliably judged by appearance. Benzodiazepines can cause sedation, impaired coordination, memory problems and dependence, and the risks increase considerably when they are combined with alcohol, opioids or other depressant drugs.

For parents, accurate information and open communication are more useful than trying to identify a stereotypical “Xanax user”. If drug use is suspected, concentrate on the person’s wellbeing, establish what they may have taken and seek appropriate professional help where necessary.

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