III.

Sedative-Hypnotics

The drugs most commonly abused in this class are the barbiturates, which have been used since the early 1900s to relieve anxiety and induce sleep. They are also used medically in the treatment of epilepsy. Some people who abuse barbiturates ingest large amounts daily but never appear intoxicated. Others use the drugs for binges of intoxication, and still others use them to boost the effects of heroin. Many people who abuse these drugs, especially those who do so daily, routinely obtain the drugs from physicians.

Barbiturates produce severe physical dependence, closely resembling the dependence and effects produced by alcohol. Abrupt withdrawal results in similar symptoms: shaking, insomnia, anxiety, and sometimes, after a day, convulsions and delirium. Death can occur when use of barbiturates is suddenly discontinued. Toxic doses, which may be little more than what is required to produce intoxication, are often taken accidentally. Barbiturates are particularly lethal when combined with alcohol.

Other sedative-hypnotics include the benzodiazepines, which are marketed under such trade names as Valium and Librium. These are the so-called minor tranquilizers (see Tranquilizer) used in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy. They are generally safer than the barbiturates and are now the preferred drug for treatment of these conditions. Consequently, tranquilizer addiction has become a problem.