AATA!!!

Welcome to Action against tranquilliser addiction! We are a registered Charity, created in 2010 to reduce the harm in Northern Ireland caused by dependence as well as misuse of benzodiazepines and related drugs.

AATA was initially formed as a UK voluntary organisation in 2008 by individuals who were concerned about the lack of services for people dependent on benzodiazepines. Our initial aim was to advocate for healthcare providers and government departments to provide services for benzodiazepine users. In 2010, we decided to tackle the problem more directly and registered AATA as a Northern Ireland based Charity in order to obtain funding and set up our own service for benzodiazepine users in Northern Ireland.

Our long term aim is to reduce the number of people who become dependent to their detriment both physically and psychologically on benzodiazepine and related drugs prescribed by their physicians as well as give help and advice to those who misuse them illicitly.
We seek to work in partnership with both the medical community and drug and alcohol services to provide a service for those who are suffering adverse consequences of benzodiazepine use/misuse. Our current focus is the establishment of the first and much needed dedicated service for benzodiazepine users/misusers in Northern Ireland.
We have many people who support our aims including distinguished members of the medical profession and local and national politicians.

Unfortunately we are unable to set up services outside of Northern Ireland. However, if you live in the United Kingdom but not in Northern Ireland and would like to establish a national or regional group, we are happy to give advice on how to go about doing so.

The aims of AATA are as follows:

(1) Raise awareness and establish dedicated services for benzodiazepine addiction at the local level.

(2) Advocate for equality in services regardless of background.

(3) Raise awareness of the increased mental health problems associated with chronic benzodiazepine usage.

(4) To establish increased awareness of the protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

(5) Highlight the increased rate of criminal offending associated with the abuse of benzodiazepines.

(6) Highlight the significant and rapidly escalating problem of benzodiazepine misuse.

(7) To raise awareness of the increased risks of benzodiazepines in the elderly.

(8) To raise awareness of the harm benzodiazepines have in young children and on the unborn child during pregnancy.

(9) To raise awareness that although benzo’s are harmful, stopping benzo’s too quickly without specialist management is much more harmful.

(10) To raise awareness of benzodiazepines and drug related deaths.

(11) Work in partnership with healthcare providers to provide best practice guidelines and healthcare for managing benzodiazepine dependency and withdrawal.

(12) To establish regional helplines for benzodiazepine addicts.

Action Against Tranquilliser Addiction