Benzodiazepine: harm minimisation strategies

General safety tips

Understand your substance

• Know the effects and risks: benzos slow down your central nervous system, and can make you feel relaxed and even sedated. They are available in short, medium, and long-acting forms, each with different durations and withdrawal risks.
• If you are sourcing benzos from somewhere other than a licensed pharmacy (e.g. online or directly from a person) then you cannot be sure that the substance contains what is advertised. Counterfeit benzos may look like the medication, but may contain other toxic substances or have a different dose to what you think you’re taking.
• Use benzos only as prescribed by a doctor. Long-term use (over four weeks) increases your risk of dependence.
• Benzo withdrawal can be intense, and stopping suddenly can be dangerous and life-threatening.

Measure your doses accurately

• A single pill generally contains a dose that's going to be effective. If you’re unsure of the strength, start with half or a quarter of a pill to test the effects. An effective dose can vary from person to person.
• Avoid redosing too quickly: benzos can stay active in your system for a long period (24 hours or more) even if you stop feeling the effects. This makes redosing riskier.
• Avoid using daily: use less often, and consider taking breaks to prevent building tolerance or dependence.

Look after your body

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Eat a balanced diet to help your overall health.

Set and setting

Your mindset (set) and environment (setting) can strongly influence how benzos will affect you. Both can influence how relaxing or risky the experience is—and whether you feel calm, sedated, or disconnected.

Set = your body and mind

This includes:

• your current mood and mental health
• feelings of stress, anxiety, or burnout
• how safe, grounded, and supported you feel
• your physical state (sleep, food, hydration, illness)
• your familiarity with benzodiazepines
• any medications or other substances you've taken.

Benzos tend to amplify your current state in a slowing, numbing way. If you’re already feeling anxious, dissociated, or emotionally unwell, benzos might intensify that disconnection. If you're using to avoid strong emotions, the crash or rebound anxiety can feel worse once the drug wears off. Being well-rested, fed, and hydrated can help reduce risks.

Setting = your surroundings

Think about:

• where you are: is it a familiar or unfamiliar space?
• lighting, noise, temperature, and smells
• who you're with and whether you trust them
• whether you have privacy and a safe place to rest.

Benzos slow your coordination and response time, so it’s safest to use in a quiet, familiar space with minimal demands on your attention. Being around people you trust can reduce the risk of injury, confusion, or distress—especially if you become drowsy or disoriented. Avoid chaotic or high-stimulation settings where you might feel pressured or vulnerable.

Mixing and masking

Knowing what happens when you mix certain substances is important, to help minimise harm when you’re using benzos. Some combinations can increase sedation and high risk of overdose, while others can mask how affected you really are—making it easier to misjudge your limits.

• Mixing: avoid mixing benzos with alcohol, opioids, GHB, and other depressants. These combinations increase the risk of breathing problems and overdose.
• Masking: mixing a depressant and a stimulant can ‘mask’ the effects of each drug and make your body feel like it’s not under much strain. Different drugs can also wear off faster than others, so if this happens you might overdose.

Risky mixes with benzos

• Benzos and alcohol: mixing these increases the effects of each substance, leading to increased risk of breathing problems and overdose.
• Benzos and opioids, GHB, or ketamine: mixing these increases the effects of each substance, leading to increased risk of breathing problems and overdose.
• Benzos and stimulants: mixing these masks the effects of each, leading to risky behaviours and using too much. If the stimulant wears off before the benzos, you could overdose even without taking more pills.

Ways to use benzos: from lower to higher risk

Oral (swallowing)

• Use them as directed, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Avoid re-dosing too quickly.

Snorting

• Finely crush the pill and use a clean straw or spoon. Avoid using money.
• Rinse your nostrils with water before and after to reduce damage.
• Repeated snorting can damage nasal passages, increasing the risk of long term issues like nosebleeds or a damaged septum.

Shelving (inserting into your bottom)

• Apply lubrication to avoid tearing, and use a condom or latex glove to prevent scratches.
• Wash your hands before and after use.

Injecting

• Injecting benzos is risky: benzos are not made for injecting and can cause vein damage, infections, and overdose.
• Use wheel filters to remove contaminants and reduce the risk of vein or tissue damage.
• Use your own sterile syringes and avoid sharing any equipment with others.
• Dispose of syringes and equipment responsibly in a dedicated sharps disposal bin.

Benzos overdose

Signs of a benzos overdose:

• extreme drowsiness
• confusion or disorientation
• slow or difficult breathing
• loss of consciousness.

What to do if you’re with someone who has overdosed

• Call emergency services (000) immediately: tell them clearly what substance was taken, and what symptoms are showing.
• Stay with the person: keep them calm and monitor their condition.
• Recovery position: if the person is unconscious but breathing, place them in the recovery position (on their side) to keep their airway open and prevent choking.
• Administer naloxone: if you are unsure what the person has taken or if they may have taken non-prescribed benzos there is a possibility that they have opioids in their system. Using naloxone could reverse the overdose and won’t cause any harm if opioids aren’t involved.

Benzos withdrawal

Benzos withdrawal can be challenging and can affect you both physically and emotionally. Suddenly stopping after long-term use could be fatal.

Common withdrawal symptoms include:

• insomnia
• anxiety
• tremors
• heart palpitations
• vomiting and nausea
• head and muscle aches
• suicidal thoughts
• seizures

Managing withdrawal safely

• Medical supervision: talk to a healthcare provider if you're feeling strong withdrawal symptoms.
• Don’t stop suddenly: sudden withdrawal can be fatal, so discuss tapering down slowly over time.
• Take care of yourself: stay hydrated and choose healthier foods to help your body recover.
• Rest: good quality sleep and rest is important for recovery.
• Counselling and support: reach out to support groups or try counselling to manage the emotional side of withdrawal. Seeking support from friends and family can also help.