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The 11 different NBz detections included etizolam (n\u2009=\u200982), flualprazolam (n\u2009=\u200943), clonazolam or 8-aminoclonazolam (n\u2009=\u200930), bromazolam (n\u2009=\u200915), clobromazolam (n\u2009=\u200913), phenazepam (n\u2009=\u200913), flubromazolam (n\u2009=\u200912), flubromazepam (n\u2009=\u20098), desalkylflurazepam (n\u2009=\u20096), diclazepam (n\u2009=\u20092), and estazolam (n\u2009=\u20091). The pattern of detections varied over the 5-year period, with different compounds appearing over different time frames. The most recent NBz to appear were bromazolam, clobromazolam, flubromazepam, and phenazepam, whereas etizolam had been seen regularly in case work since 2018. Of the total 133 deaths, 95 were considered drug-related deaths by forensic pathologists with at least one additional CNS depressant also present capable of contributing to death. All deaths involved other (non-benzodiazepine) CNS active drugs, although many involved multiple NBz, with five or more different benzodiazepines detected in eight cases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/jat\/bkae075","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]],"date-time":"2024-08-27T18:37:45Z","timestamp":1724783865000},"page":"684-690","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Deaths involving novel benzodiazepines in Victoria, Australia from 2018 to 2022"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"48","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8953-0312","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olaf H","family":"Drummer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]},{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samantha","family":"Joubert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3490-5214","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matthew","family":"Di Rago","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]},{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1959-2873","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jared W","family":"Castle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]},{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kerryn","family":"Crump","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7161-7513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Linda","family":"Glowacki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7958-8235","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dimitri","family":"Gerostamoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine , 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]},{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne 3006,","place":["Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024111514364205900_R1","article-title":"New Benzodiazepines in Europe - a review","author":"EMCDDA","year":"2021"},{"key":"2024111514364205900_R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ph14060560","article-title":"Designer Benzodiazepines: a review of toxicology and public health risks","volume":"14","author":"Brunetti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pharmaceuticals"},{"key":"2024111514364205900_R3","article-title":"Current NPS Treats. 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