Warning over unlicensed drug

A NEW warning has been issued by Scots health experts after itemerged that an unlicensed Russian drug, known as Bonsai Supersleep,left five young users in hospital.

NHS experts have discovered that the drug taken by the teenagers,who needed treatment at Borders General Hospital after taking itearlier this month, was the anxiety drug phenazepam.

The concerns have now been circulated in a warning message tohealth boards and NHS professionals.

In August, The Herald revealed how Scottish Government expertscirculated warnings about the drug that had become freely availableon the internet.

The initial warning was issued after at least three users wereknown to have overdosed in England and Wales and a user in Aberdeensaid he had ended up in hospital after washing it down with fourcans of lager.

Now it has emerged that a fresh NHS intelligence brief has beencirculated as one of the Borders youngsters in hospital wrote tofriends warning that he had taken Bonsai and he feared it could havekilled him.

Aaron Myatt, 19, from Selkirk, wrote: "Serious warning. If youget offered a legal drug called Bonsai don't take it if you valueyour life in the slightest.

"I spent a week in hospital over it and need to rest for two tothree weeks. I could have died. Spread the word."

Phenazepam, which is not on any banned list but is not licensed,had previously been passed off as diazepam, a medication used fortreating anxiety and insomnia, commonly known as Valium.

Now there is concern that phenazepam sellers are trying to marketit as the new party drug. It is feared the new street name of Bonsaiwill entice youngsters who believe it may be linked to mephedrone,which is often labelled plant food and is also known as meow meow.

EU justice ministers earlier this month agreed to ban mephedrone,whose physical effects compare to those of ecstasy or cocaine. Itwas banned in Britain last March after it was linked with severaldeaths.

Medical experts are concerned that the imported phenazepam isthree times as strong as other similar drugs, and that its effectscan last up to three times as long.

The Borders incident has prompted internal discussions aboutbringing in a system for NHS staff to be educated about the productsin circulation.

One Scottish NHS drug expert said: "The warnings will hopefullyachieve awareness among health professionals, the generalpopulation, and of course parents about what is happening withphenazepam, about the potential for misuse and prevent any confusionthat there may be with mephedrone."

Experts say that when used in conjunction with alcohol or otherdrugs, it will greatly increase the effects of reduced consciousnessand respiratory depression. Side-effects of phenazepam includedizziness, drowsiness, loss of co-ordination and amnesia.

When properly prescribed, the drug has been used in the treatmentof anxiety. It has also been used in the treatment of muscle spasms,alcohol withdrawal and drug dependence, as well as being a pre-operation sedative.

The circular from the Scottish Government's Primary and CommunityCare Directorate to healthcare professionals earlier this year warnsof the "illicit use and subsequent overdose" associated with thedrug.

It says: "Phenazepam is not commonly used in the UK and it may bebeing passed off as diazepam. The risks remain the same as for allbenzodiazepines [the class of drug to which it belongs], butphenazepam is reported to last up to 60 hours.

"The onset of sedative effects [is] slower though more potentthan the more commonly used UK benzodiazepines.

"This combination presents increased likelihood of overdose,particularly if the user does not know what they are using.

"Intelligence received suggests that more of these drugs may comeinto circulation."