Tranquilliser addiction warning

The number of children treated for addiction to tranquillisers has doubled in recent years, says Public Health England.

Last year, 315 under-18s received help for dependence on benzodiazepines, up from 161 in the previous year.

In the UK, Valium is the ‘benzo’ most often prescribed by GPS. While it’s only available on a prescription, the far more powerful Xanax, and counterfeit versions of it that can be found online, accounted for the steepest rise: eight under-18s were treated for Xanax addiction in 2016-17, rising to 58 last year.

“We’re seeing more and more people admitting themselves after becoming addicted to benzos,” said Dr Mateen Durrani of the UK Addiction Treatment Centres.

“In most cases, their misuse stemmed from using the drug recreationally and mixing it with alcohol, which proves to be a toxic combination.”