Valium is the well-known brand name of the prescription medication diazepam. It belongs to a group of chemically similar drugs called ‘benzodiazepines’ or ‘benzos’. Used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms, seizures, or help manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it comes in the form of tablets, an oral solution, injections or rectal gel.
COMFORTABLY NUMB
In the late 1950s, so-called ‘wonder drugs’ to calm the nerves were mass-marketed as safe alternatives to barbiturates —the highly addictive sedatives that killed Marilyn Monroe. Pharmaceutical companies offered incentives to physicians to endorse new drugs in ads that appeared in medical journals. Sometimes the endorsements were invented.
THE HIGH LIFE
In 1965 around 14 per cent of all prescriptions in the US were for stimulants, sedatives or tranquillisers. Of the latter, Valium (a name inspired by the Latin word ‘valere’ meaning ‘to be strong’) was launched by the Swiss multinational Roche in 1963. Like most such products, the target customers were middle-to-upper-class older women; apparently, Roche executives first tested Valium out on their mothers-in-law. It became the most prescribed drug in the US between 1969 and 1982. Sales peaked in 1978, when more than 2.3 billion pills were sold.
HOW IT WORKS
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the action of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which reduces certain nerve-impulse transmissions in the brain that cause agitation. Common side effects are sleepiness and unsteadiness. Valium is supposed to be a short-term treatment but it can quickly produce physical dependency. The body develops a tolerance to it, and larger doses are needed.
CULTURAL ICON
By the mid 1960s, there were widespread concerns about addiction and side effects, although the depictions of Valium in popular culture tended to glamourise even its deadlier qualities. The Rolling Stones’ 1966 song Mother’s Little Helper referred to a “little yellow pill” that provided “shelter” for stressed mothers. Celebrity Elizabeth Taylor boasted that she was addicted to cocktails of Valium and Jack Daniel’s bourbon.
BY ANY OTHER NAME
Today, while the brand name Valium has achieved notoriety, diazepam and related drugs (alprazolam, brand named Xanax, especially) are widely prescribed medications in the US. In the UK, illicit diazepam bought online during lockdown was linked to a surge in hospitalisations and deaths.
WITHDRAWAL
Withdrawal symptoms are severe. Long-term former users of Valium demonstrate significant cognitive dysfunction, including impairment to psychomotor speed, motor control and performance, general intelligence, attention and concentration, and memory. A study in France has made a connection between benzo use and Alzheimer’s.
