Researchers from the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED) have launched the Navigating Novel Benzos study, which aims to better understand how and why people are using benzodiazepines purchased online or from other unregulated markets, as well as their experiences and how they manage their use, via qualitative interviews.
The information collected in this study will be reviewed by the research team to identify priority areas for community education, where harm reduction efforts should be directed, and the service needs of people who use benzodiazepines obtained from street or online markets. Findings will also help inform health promotion resources, clinical training, and harm reduction strategies.
“There were 23 novel benzodiazepine-related alerts issued by health authorities between 2020 and July 2025, with nearly half of these being issued in 2025 alone,” said Dr Freestone, who has separately reported on the issue (most recently in Drug and Alcohol Review).
“They are also the most frequently detected type of novel psychoactive substances in Australian emergency department admissions.”
To develop more effective health interventions, including harm reduction and support for dependence and withdrawal, Dr Freestone said the behaviours and characteristics of people using the drugs needed to be better understood.
“That is why we’ve launched the Navigating Novel Benzos Study – to learn about people’s experiences and the strategies they use to look after themselves, source the drugs and reduce harm,” Dr Freestone said.
“This will be highly valuable for reducing the harms associated with novel benzodiazepines and improve our knowledge of the rapidly evolving nature of these compounds.”
This study is currently recruiting individuals in Australia over the age of 18 who have used benzodiazepines from unregulated sources (e.g. dealer or online market) on three or more occasions in the past 12 months. Find out more here.
