The NHS, Youth Mental

Health, and Xanax

 Overview
● Thesis
● What is Xanax?
● Avenues of Acquisition
● NHS and Youth Mental Health
● The Xanax Connection
● Solution
● Discussion Questions
In the UK, the NHS provides inadequate
support towards the mental health of youth,
causing some to turn towards illicit drugs. In
recent times, the drug of choice for British
youth has been Xanax, and it is becoming an
emerging crisis.
What is Xanax?
-Drug used for the treatment of anxiety disorders
-Slows activity in the brain, reduces feelings common with anxiety
-10 times stronger than Valium
-Long term use can cause depression, amnesia
-Highly addictive, considered harder to come off than heroin
-Known as “benzos” or “xans”
Avenues of Aquisition
-Only available legally through private prescription in the UK
-Can be procured easily through street dealers, dark web
-UK constitutes 22% of global trades on the darkweb
-Can be bought on social media (Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat)
-Pills can run just £1 each when bought through illicit means
-High Risk: majority of Xanax procured through illicit means
are fake, resulting in uneven doses and potential for
contamination from other drugs such as Fentanyl
NHS and Youth Mental Health
-72% of consultant psychiatrists specialising in treating children/adolescents
with mental health issues say that the NHS is inadequate or very inadequate
-Cuts were made to early intervention services provided by the NHS, from
£3.2bn a year in 2010-11 to just £1.4bn in 2014-15
-Between 2011 and 2016, the number of specialist mental health nurses
working in NHS hospitals decreased by 10%
-6% of the total mental health budget is spent on children/youth, though 75%
of adult mental illnesses start before the age of 18
The Connection to Xanax
-The easy availability of Xanax has allowed neglected youths to self-medicate
anxiety and mental health issues
-Long wait lines for essential mental health services for youth worsens the
issue

“Anecdotally, I also see a link between young people experiencing mental health issues and the use of Xanax. It does
appear that there’s a degree of “self-medicating” that is going on, especially for students that are suffering with anxiety-
related issues, which is a lot. The fact that the waiting times for professional help with such issues is so long further
exacerbates the problem. What is also clear is that the use of Xanax is not in any way helping these young people and
is severely compounding their issues.” – Anonymous Teacher, Scotland
Solutions
1. Increase/reallocate funding to youth mental health services – Given the fact that most
mental illnesses begin in youth, the current 6% of total NHS mental health budget should
be increased. It costs more and is more complicated to treat an adult compared to early
intervention during youth.
2.Create awareness campaign – As this is a current issue that has only arose in the past
year, awareness in the UK is low. A campaign would aid parents, caregivers, and
teachers to better spot the signs of addiction.
3. Specialist services – For those who have already developed a dependency to Xanax, it
is of the utmost importance that specialized workers are available for treatment. As
Xanax is incredibly difficult to come off of, this could save lives.
Discussion Questions
1. Have you seen the negative effects of drug culture affect those around you
(e.g friends, classmates)?
2. The rise of Xanax use in the UK has coincided with the rise of so called
“Xanax rappers”. Do you think this rap culture is influencing youth to take Xanax
and other drugs, as a way to “be cool” and fit in?
3. Mental health and anxiety is a major concern among young people. In our
research, a common reason for anxiety in youth is the pressure of school. In
what ways do you think the UK school system can exacerbate this issue of
mental health and anxiety?
Reference List
Campbell, D. (2018). NHS mental health services failing young people, say psychiatrists. [online] the Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/26/nhs-mental-health-services-failing-young-people-say-psychiatrists
[Accessed 23 Apr. 2018].

Campbell, D. (2018). Seven in 10 nurses say young people's mental healthcare is inadequate. [online] the Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/04/young-people-mental-healthcare-inadequate-seven-in-ten-specialist-
nurses-rcn-poll [Accessed 23 Apr. 2018].

Drugs.com. (2018). Xanax: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Warnings - Drugs.com. [online] Available at:
https://www.drugs.com/xanax.html [Accessed 23 Apr. 2018].

Marsh, S. (2018). Xanax misuse: doctors warn of 'emerging crisis' as UK sales rise. [online] the Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/05/xanax-misuse-uk-dark-web-sales-health [Accessed 23 Apr. 2018].

Readers, G. and Marsh, S. (2018). 'It reduces people to zombies': UK readers on Xanax misuse. [online] the Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/09/reduces-people-zombies-uk-readers-xanax-misuse [Accessed 23 Apr.
2018].

Richards, A. (2018). UK teenagers using Facebook and Instagram to illegally buy anxiety drug Xanax. [online] Evening Standard.
Available at: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-teenagers-using-facebook-and-instagram-to-illegally-buy-anxiety-drug-
xanax-a3766366.html [Accessed 23 Apr. 2018].