Thus, there may be an under-reporting of how pervasive this issue really is in B.C. However, limitations of these technologies sometimes cause benzodiazepines to be missed when present in small concentrations.Įtizolam, the most common benzodiazepine-like compound found in opioids, is particularly difficult to detect using point-of-care drug-checking technologies because of its chemical structure. In many settings in B.C., benzodiazepine test strips are used alongside a technology called Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to detect the presence of benzodiazepines. Challenges detecting benzo-dopeĭrug checking services have been implemented across Canada to monitor the unregulated drug supply and provide people with timely information about the contents of their drugs. As a result, people may not be able to access substance use treatment because of an imposed adulterant to their drugs. However, there is no evidence-based antidote to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines without potential consequences such as withdrawal or seizures.Īdditionally, due to the complications of benzodiazepine withdrawal, many addiction treatment providers will not admit individuals who test positive for benzodiazepines. Regardless, there is growing evidence that co-use and dependence on opioids and benzodiazepines is occurring in parallel to the rising supply of these drugs.ĭeaths from opioid overdose can be prevented with naloxone, which counteracts the effects of opioids. Some suggest they may be added to opioids to produce similar effects at a lower total cost to drug suppliers, or intentionally used to prolong or enhance the desirable effects of opioids. The reason behind the adulteration of benzodiazepines in opioids is unclear. Thefts and sexual assaults have also been reported after people were given benzodiazepine-adulterated opioids without their knowledge and consequently knocked into an unresponsive state. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Haywardīenzodiazepines are also slower to take effect compared to opioids, meaning someone can experience delayed overdose symptoms. However, benzodiazepine test strips may miss detecting the drug. As a consequence, people wanting to use opioids may unknowingly increase their risk of overdose from benzodiazepine adulteration.ĭrug checking services can provide people with timely information about the contents of their unregulated drugs using things like the fentanyl test strip shown here. Most people do not intend to consume benzodiazepines with their opioids. Coroner’s Service, there has been a substantial increase in benzodiazepines detected in illicit drug toxicity deaths, from 15 per cent in July 2020 to 60 per cent in May 2021. The increasing availability of benzo-dope is cause for concern given that when taken together, the combined effects of benzodiazepines and opioids can result in overdose and death. In this context, there are significant public health issues that need to be considered. The data seem to suggest we should be prepared for the unregulated drug supply to adjust to a new normal. Since benzodiazepines are sedatives, combining them with another type of depressant, like opioids, significantly increases the risk of overdose.Īs researchers in substance use, we questioned whether the increasing supply of benzo-dope in the unregulated drug market would saturate the opioid supply in a similar way fentanyl did to heroin years ago. They are drugs from the benzodiazepine class that are neither prescribed nor used in medicine in Canada, meaning they may possess unknown strengths or side-effects. However, what is being detected in opioids in Canada are not pharmaceutical drugs.
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