ArticleJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2022
Alprazolam-related deaths in Scotland, 2004-2020.
Article in Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Systematic review: The relationship between gabapentinoids, etizolam, and drug related deaths in Scotland.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- A prelimbic cortex-lateral hypothalamus circuit regulates acquisition of alprazolam-induced conditioned place preference in male mice.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2026Article
- Utilization and Feasibility of a Wearable Device in Patients With Sedative Effects of Drugs: Protocol for a Prospective Observational Study for the Advanced Respiratory Monitoring Events in Drug Toxicity (ARM-ED) Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Observational
- Expecting medication misuse: a proactive approach to drug discovery to prevent fatal overdose.Future medicinal chemistry · 2025Review
- Signal mining and risk analysis of Alprazolam adverse events based on the FAERS database.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Benzodiazepine Boom: Tracking Etizolam, Pyrazolam, and Flubromazepam from Pre-UK Psychoactive Act 2016 to Present Using Analytical and Social Listening Techniques.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Article
- Anhedonia modulates benzodiazepine and opioid demand among persons in treatment for opioid use disorder.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe benzodiazepine drug alprazolam, a fast-acting tranquiliser, cannot be prescribed on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Illicit alprazolam supply and consumption have increased. Concern about increasing numbers of alprazolam-related fatalities started circulating in 2018. However, statistics on this issue are very limited. This study examined patterns in such mortality in Scotland.
methodsStatistics on deaths where alprazolam was mentioned in the 'cause of death' were obtained from official mortality registers. Anonymised Scottish case-level data were obtained. Data were examined in respect of the characteristics of decedents and deaths using descriptive statistics.
resultsScotland registered 370 deaths in 2004-2020; 366 of these occurred in 2015-2020: most involved males (77.1%); mean age 39.0 (SD 12.6) years. The principal underlying cause of death was accidental poisoning: opiates/opioids (77.9%); sedatives/hypnotics (15.0%). Two deaths involved alprazolam alone. Main drug groups implicated: opiates/opioids (94.8%), 'other benzodiazepines' (67.2%), gabapentinoids (42.9%), stimulants (30.1%), antidepressants (15.0%). Two-thirds (64.2%) involved combinations of central nervous system (CNS) depressants. DISCUSSION: Alprazolam-related deaths are likely due to an increasing illicit supply. The fall in deaths in 2019-2020 is partially due to increased use of designer benzodiazepines. Treatment for alprazolam dependence is growing. Clinicians need to be aware of continuing recreational alprazolam use. When such consumption occurs with CNS depressants, overdose and death risks increase.
conclusionsMore awareness of alprazolam contributing to deaths, especially in conjunction with other CNS depressants, is needed by consumers and clinicians. Improved monitoring of illicit supplies could identify emerging issues of medicines' abuse.
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