Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Surge in use of fake anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives during lockdown

The sale of fake anti-anxiety medications known to cause severe illness or death has surged during lockdown.
Health officials have issued an alert over a number of illicit drugs that can increase suicidal thoughts and have potentially fatal consequences, especially when taken in conjunction with alcohol and certain painkillers.

Public Health England (PHE) said the bootlegged sedatives were being marketed as legitimate anti-anxiety medications commonly prescribed by doctors on the NHS.

It said evidence linked to toxicology results from recent hospital admissions and deaths, as well as from seized caches of the tablets, shows that the counterfeit drugs were causing harm.

Drug research charity Release said it is still unclear where the illegal drugs are coming from, but that many are being supplied to dealers via the dark web. It found that users are still primarily relying on face-to-face transactions to obtain the drugs and that some of the surge was being driven by people who are normally dependent on heroin.

PHE advised users to watch out for a tablet with ‘DAN 5620′ on one side and ’10’ on the other, as well as one marked ‘T-20’, ‘TEM 20’, ‘Bensedin’ and ‘MSJ’.

It said most of the dangerous tablets, sometimes referred to as ‘street benzos’, are blue but may come in other colours and may stain people’s mouths.

Often they have been packaged in blister packs or proper pharmacy tubs to make them appear legitimate, and may claim to contain a certain dose of approved drugs, such as diazepam.

In reality, they may not contain any genuine medicines and will instead have high-potency illicit benzodiazepines or another non-medical substance.

The strength of street benzos can vary widely, putting the user at risk of overdose as they have no reliable measure of their intake.

Benzodiazepines impact brain activity and slow the central nervous system, which affects breathing. They are even more dangerous when used with other substances that have the same effect, such as heroin and other opioids, as well as epilepsy medication and painkiller gabapentinoids.

Release’s executive director, Niamh Eastwood, said many herion users lost their income during lockdown and have turned to cheaper alternatives.

‘One of the drivers of the increase, in the early part of lockdown was that heroin users lost income and couldn’t buy it so shifted to benzos which are significantly cheaper,’ she said.

This was exacerbated by the bust of the ‘EncroChat’ crime network, which saw over 700 arrests and had also significantly disrupted the heroin market, causing many to switch to benzos.

Director of charity DrugWise, arry Shapiro, said the distribution of the drugs in industry-standard packaging allowed some dealers to convince buyers they were genuine medicines that had found their way onto the black market.

‘If you make something look legitimate people then either believe that it is or con themselves into believing that it is until they find out otherwise,’ he said.

PHE warned the drugs also impact mental health and can increase suicidal thoughts, particularly in young adults and people with alcohol or opioid addiction.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×