Dr. Leo Sternbach created the first benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (Librium), in 1956 in an attempt to create safer, less addictive alternatives to traditional tranquilizer drugs such as alcohol, barbiturates, and meprobamate.
First introduced in the US market in 1981, Xanax is distinguished by:
• Intermediate onset of action.
• Shorter half-life, or quicker elimination from the body than other commonly prescribed benzodiazepines such as Valium or Librium.
Xanax became widely used in anxiety disorders because it provides rapid symptom relief for these disorders (within a week of beginning treatment) and shows no decrease in its effectiveness over time, even when used for several years.
Like many other anxiolytic and sedative drugs, Xanax works by binding to a specific site distinct from the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) binding site on the benzodiazepine-GABA-A-chloride ionophore receptor complex located in the limbic, thalamic and hypothalamic regions of the central nervous system (CNS), which decreases the overall level of brain activity. By activating GABAA receptors, Xanax reduces feelings of anxiety and panic in patients, but it can also produce euphoria when taken in larger doses, leading some people to abuse this medication.
Xanax was the most commonly prescribed prescription psychiatric medication from 2005 to 2013 in the United States and although it has allowed many individuals to regain control of their anxiety and their life, it also became a widely used and abused addictive drug. Available data indicates that in 2004, alprazolam was prescribed nearly 18 million times. As of 2018, the number of prescriptions had risen to nearly 21 million.
Before you buy Xanax online
Xanax is a prescription drug and also a controlled drug, which means it has the potential to cause dependence or to be misused. This medication is regulated by law and it is illegal to take Xanax without a prescription from a medical doctor.
However, there has been a proliferation of online pharmacies mostly run by criminal gangs in foreign countries who feed fat on people’s addictions by selling them controlled substances most times laced with other contaminants.
Fake Xanax sold online has been responsible for many overdose-related deaths in the United States because they do not contain the right active (alprazolam) but deadly substances like fentanyl.
According to the DEA, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl is added to Xanax to increase its potency. Many users believe that they are purchasing Xanax and actually don’t know that they are purchasing fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths. Clandestinely-produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico.
Fentanyl overdose deaths tripled among teens—and surged five-fold among Black teens—over the past two years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Producing illicit fentanyl is not an exact science. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. DEA analysis has found counterfeit pills ranging from .02 to 5.1 milligrams (more than twice the lethal dose) of fentanyl per tablet.
• 42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose.
• Drug trafficking organizations typically distribute fentanyl by kilogram. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
It is possible for someone to take a pill without knowing it contains fentanyl. It is also possible to take a pill knowing it contains fentanyl, but with no way of knowing if it contains a lethal dose.
According to the CDC, synthetic opioids (like fentanyl) are the primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States. Comparison between 12 months-ending January 31, 2020 and the 12 months-ending January 31, 2021 during this period:
• Overdose deaths involving opioids rose 38.1 percent.
• Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) rose 55.6 percent and appear to be the primary driver of the increase in total drug overdose deaths.
How to Avoid Buying Fake Xanax Online
You can avoid being the next casualty by following these simple FDA tips for safe medicines on the internet:
- Always make sure the site requires a Xanax prescription and has a pharmacist available for questions.
- Buy Xanax only from licensed pharmacies located in the United States. BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy has more information about finding safe and legal online pharmacies.
- Don’t provide personal information such as credit card numbers unless you are sure the site will protect them.
