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The A-list Drugs
By Sara Valente
11 Jul 2010
Cocaine,Prozac, Heroin, Diazepam, these are just a handful of the A-list drugs that are constantly hogging the limelight. They are powerful, addictive, head-line grabbing chemicals that have been involved in some of the most famous scandals.
Cocaine is a paparazzi favourite. It has been seen in LA’s vibrant night scene. However, use of cocaine amongst celebrities does not go without punishment. Kate Moss, a British model, nearly lost her career due to incriminating photographs of her using cocaine.
Now it is perfectly acceptable to say, ‘cocaine was sooo 2005’. The more recent drugs to make the headlines are painkillers. In correct doses they are safe and legal and are always prescribed by doctors but have claimed the lives of Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson. It is so easy to take painkillers and sedatives for prolonged periods of time without realising the consequences. Even though the dose each time is small, the accumulation and mixture of these drugs can eventually have more serious side effects. This appears to be a concern for pharmacists at present since young people may purchase painkillers and can become addicted without realising. An example of this is girls purchasing painkillers for period pain. Community pharmacists must become aware of those who may be susceptible to addiction.
Unfortunately, drugs will always be appearing in the media circus.
Other A-list Drugs Worldwide
Fluoxetine is not addictive. It causes dependence however, and the withdrawal syndromes of many antidepressants can be an absolute nightmare, especially if withdrawn too quickly. Its successor, paroxetine, is said to be even worse to withdraw from.
One pertinent point is that Kate Moss nearly lost her career after being photographed abusing cocaine. She should have lost her career. That would have sent out a better message to the vulnerable youngsters. Even more worrying is that there is at least one organisation who delivers drug information to school children, and they insist that cocaine is not addictive. This is a myth, as it is psychologically extremely addictive. They say that it is your choice to take any drug you like, except for solvents. They do not believe in shock tactics, and withhold information that really should be given.
Worldwide, the most common A-list benzodiazepine is alprazolam, or Xanax. Doing a Google search for the phrase, "I love Xanax" is very revealing, since many doctors in the USA have no idea how evil this drug is. They also have no idea how to prescribe it, and will often prescribe 2mg taken three times a day, as it is produced in 2mg 'bars' in the USA, often known as 'ladders' on the street. This is roughly equivalent to 120mg diazepam daily. It has a very rapid onset, lasts a few hours, and then switches off like a light bulb, leaving the user craving more, followed by spiralling tolerance. It also is the most euphoric of the oral benzodiazepines in common use, and we should be grateful that it is not available in the UK on the NHS.
Interestingly, midazolam is available in tablet form in some countries. Brands include Flormidal and Dormicum. As a 'date-rape' drug, it would be as dangerous as flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). Roche should have thought about this possibility when they produced the tablets; ironically they also are the producers of oral midazolam, or 'dazzles' as they are known by to those who abuse them.
Michael Jackson's death was probably due to polydrug 'abuse' (his doctors were prescribing them), and I think that the IV propofol he was given to sleep didn't do him much good. He was also addicted to Xanax.
Another A-list drug is codeine and promethazine syrup, known as 'purple drank' and other street names, and has appeared in lyrics from rap artists.
Regards and respect
Matthew