Drugs Q & A

Can You Smoke Xanax Bars or Pills?

Smoking is the act of inhaling and exhaling the fumes of burning material including prescription medication. Vaping refers to inhaling and exhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette or similar device like someone smoking a conventional cigarette. A variety of materials are smoked, including substances that have both stimulating and tranquilizing psychoactive effects. The smoking, long practiced by American Indians, was introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus and other explorers. Smoking soon spread to other areas and today is widely practiced around the world despite medical, social, and religious arguments against it.

By the dawn of the 21st century, in stark contrast, tobacco had become recognized as being highly addictive and one of the world’s most-devastating causes of death and disease. Moreover, because of the rapid increase in smoking in developing countries in the late 20th century, the number of smoking-related deaths per year was projected to rise rapidly in the 21st century. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in the late 1990s there were approximately four million deaths caused by smoking per year worldwide.

What is Xanax?

Xanax is the brand name for Pfizer’s brand of Alprazolam, a short-acting tranquilizer of the triazolobenzodiazepine class, which are benzodiazepines fused with a triazole ring. Pfizer is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City.

Xanax works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in October 1981. Benzodiazepines act on the brain and central nervous system (CNS) to produce a calming effect. Xanax is a federal controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep this medicine in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away Xanax may harm others, and is against the law. Tell your healthcare provider if you have abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs.

What does Xanax do?

Xanax slows down the movement of brain chemicals that may have become unbalanced, resulting in a reduction in nervous tension and anxiety. Xanax works by boosting the effects of a natural chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is made in the brain. Xanax is used to treat anxiety disorders and anxiety caused by depression. Xanax is also used to treat panic disorders with or without a fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment (agoraphobia).

Can you smoke or vape Xanax?

No, you should never smoke or vape Xanax or any prescription medication. Although, smoking a drug is one of the fastest way to get it to reach the brain it can have far reaching consequences. When a drug is smoked, it seeps into the bloodstream through the lungs, allowing it to quickly travel to the brain. The effects are immediate but can have serious consequences including instant death.

Drugs like Xanax are formulated to be taken in a particular manner, often ingested orally, and to be released slowly. When taken properly, the medication is broken down in the stomach before it is absorbed into the bloodstream over time.

Beyond the adverse effects of releasing massive amount of a prescription medication at once into your system, smoking also causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis. You can find useful information on : Does Xanax Expire?

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Dr. Oche Otorkpa PG Cert, MPH, PhD

Dr. Oche is a seasoned Public Health specialist who holds a post graduate certificate in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, an MPH, and a PhD both from Texila American University. He is a member of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK. He authored two books: "The Unseen Terrorist," published by AuthorHouse UK, and "The Night Before I Killed Addiction."
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