Barbiturates

Abstract

The "bars" you're inquiring about may refer to barbiturates, a class of depressant medications that cause relaxed states and drowsiness. Other street names include "barbs," "barbies," "downers," "blue devils," "sleepers," "yellow jackets," and "pink ladies." Health care providers prescribe barbiturates, such as pentobarbital and secobarbital, to treat insomnia, tension, anxiety, and seizures. Barbiturates are also used preand post-surgery as sedatives. The pill or capsule forms are often described by the color (red, yellow, blue, or red/blue), while other kinds are taken intravenously. They're highly addictive drugs, and because they're often misused, most health care providers tend to use benzodiazepines (a different class of sedative) with less risk of overdose.