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How Xanax & Alcohol May Have Killed Whitney Houston

The anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, the generic name for Xanax, is classified as a benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepines are sedatives that work by binding to part of the brain’s natural tranquilizers, or gamma amino butyric acids, to increase your natural calming ability.

They work quickly, often in 15 minutes — and are highly addictive. The effects last just a few hours. Alprazolam is also the eighth-most prescribed drug in the United States in 2010, according to the New York Times.

“It’s often used for stage fright or other types of anxiety; however, it’s abused a great deal and has the potential for addiction,” Seppala said, especially if someone has a genetic predisposition for addiction. “Tolerance develops quickly if it’s used on a regular basis.”

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