Behind the challenge lie two serious problems that urgently need to be addressed: the lack of control of prescription drugs and the mental health of children and adolescents.
The effects of clonazepam
Clonazepam is similar to valium, illustrates Dr. Gilberto Castañeda, a researcher at the Pharmacology Department of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav). It is an anxiolytic that produces calming effects and drowsiness. It is used in cases of anxiety, epilepsy, sleep disorders or panic attacks, and is safe under medical supervision.
However, its recreational use can have adverse consequences. In low doses it causes disinhibition similar to that of alcohol. “Like a cheap drunk,” describes the specialist from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN).
But it can also lead to dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, coordination problems, difficulty thinking or remembering, headache, muscle or joint pain; blurred vision, tremors, incontinence or urinary retention, and increased saliva.
At first, the calming effects may feel pleasant, and that presents another risk. If the sensation is pleasant, minors can develop tolerance and even dependency. That is, increase the dose and require it with addiction.
“They can have effects that, at first, you find pleasant but, in the end, are very dangerous. We are concerned that they will escalate the dosage and that will lead to death, ”she warns.
