There has been an alarming rise in the volume of prescription drugs, including date rape pills, being seized from illegal street traders.
Figures released by the Department of Health show the number of drugs seized rose from just 1,160 in 2006 to 1.3 million last year — with sedatives including valium and xanax — used for the treatment of anxiety — making up the majority of pills taken out of circulation.
Sleeping and slimming pills, as well as erectile dysfunction medicines, are also widely available on the black market.
So far this year, more than 360,500 prescription pills intended for street sale were seized, with an estimated value of €686,383.
Tougher laws to clamp down on the illegal trading of prescription drugs are being drawn up by the Department of Health which plans to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act to impose tighter controls.
The department is particularly concerned about the increasing abuse of Benzodiazepines (benzos), a group of medicines prescribed for the treatment of anxiety, severe or disabling sleep disorders, in the control of muscle spasm, epilepsy and as a pre-operative medication in minor surgery. Almost 209,000 valium tablets and 39,000 xanax tablets were seized from street traders last year. Both drugs are highly addictive with a number of adverse reactions including withdrawal symptoms and drowsiness.
Source: Mary Regan, Irish Examiner, 11/06/12
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