North Wales Substance Misuse Forum website. |
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Barbiturates |
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Drug |
Barbiturates |
Common Name |
Barbs, Downers, Blues, Reds, Sekkies, Blue Angels, Blue Devils, Blue Bullets, Purple Hearts, Goofballs, Red Devils |
Description |
Mainly as tablet but can be ampoules, suppositories, capsules or syrups. |
Routes of use |
Ingestion or injection |
Effects Required |
In small doses barbiturates can relax people and make them feel sociable and good-humoured. In larger doses a drunken effect is produced similar to alcohol. The effect is magnified if taken at the same time as other sedatives, but is extremely dangerous, when a normally safe dose can result in overdose and death. |
Other Effects |
Larger doses result in a drunken state that can end up with accidental injuries due to falls etc. Death from respiratory failure can occur at larger doses. Death is a potential risk of use because the lethal dose is not much different than the normal dose and this is even lower when taken at the same time as alcohol, tranquillisers or heroin. The dangers of injecting barbiturates is extremely dangerous. Apart from the risks of using shared needles and poor injecting techniques there can be an accumulation of undissolved tablets in the skin tissue. Bronchitis, pneumonia and hypothermia can result from heavy use. Withdrawal from the drug has to be taken slowly as rapid withdrawal from high-dose use can be fatal. . |
Dependence and Tolerance |
Physical and psychological dependence are likely especially at higher than normal therapeutic doses |
Legality |
Barbiturates, like all sedatives and hypnotics, are prescription only medications under the Medicines Act. People can only possess them if prescribed by a doctor. They are Class B drugs and therefore it is an offence to supply, produce or allow premises to be used for supply or unauthorised production. |
