A tranquilizer is a drug that is designed for the treatment of anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and disturbances of

the mind The mind is the set of faculties responsible for all mental phenomena. Often the term is also identified with the phenomena themselves. These faculties include thought, imagination, memory, will, and sensation. They are responsible for various m ...

, specifically to reduce states of

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil Turmoil may refer to: * ''Turmoil'' (1984 video game), a 1984 video game released by Bug-Byte * ''Turmoil'' (2016 video game), a 2016 indie oil tycoon video ...

and tension.

Etymology

Tranquilizer, as a term, was first used by F.F. Yonkman (1953), from the conclusions of investigative studies using the drug

reserpine Reserpine is a drug that is used for the treatment of high blood pressure, usually in combination with a thiazide diuretic or vasodilator. Large clinical trials have shown that combined treatment with reserpine plus a thiazide diuretic reduces m ...

, which showed the drug had a calming effect on all animals to which it was administered. Reserpine is a centrally acting

Rauwolfia ''Rauvolfia'' (sometimes spelled ''Rauwolfia'') is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly known as devil peppers, in the family Apocynaceae. The genus is named to honor Leonhard Rauwolf. The genus can mainly be found in tropical reg ...

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Th ...

. The word directly refers to the state of

tranquillity Tranquillity (also spelled tranquility) is the quality or state of being tranquil; that is, calm, serene, and worry-free. The word tranquillity appears in numerous texts ranging from the religious writings of Buddhism, where the term '' passaddhi'' ...

in a person and other animals. The term is considered ''popular'' or ''common'', meaning it is not generally in use in the field of medicine. Specifically, it is used in reference to

antipsychotic Antipsychotics, also known as neuroleptics, are a class of psychotropic medication primarily used to manage psychosis (including delusions, hallucinations, paranoia or disordered thought), principally in schizophrenia but also in a range o ...

or neuroleptic medications. The term is generally used as a synonym for

sedative A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are CNS depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but ...

. When used by health care professionals, it is usually qualified or replaced with more precise terms: * minor tranquilizer usually refers to anxiolytics. * major tranquilizer might refer to

s. Mood stabilizers might also be considered to belong to the classification of tranquilizing agents.

Use on non-human animals

Tranquilizers are administered to animals via dart gun. If the animal only needs to be safely approached, the dart will contain a minor tranquilizer. Minor tranquilizers relieve tension and anxiety without affecting consciousness. If the animal needs to be completely still and unable to feel pain, a major tranquilizer will be used.

Police use

Tranquilizer darts are not generally included in police

less-than-lethal Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional ...

arsenals because a human can easily be wrestled to the ground, the pain induced by the dart may cause a suspect to pull out a weapon or panic and run until they are far away resulting in the officer having to track down the unconscious suspect, a human can have a deadly allergic reaction to a tranquilizer, and because effective use requires an estimate of the target's weight —- too little tranquilizer will have no effect, and too much tranquilizer will result in death, which can lead to being convicted of second-degree unintentional murder if the target is a human. "If you shot somebody that was small, it could kill them. If you shot somebody who was big or had drugs in their system, it might not do anything." says Newett, of the Justice Department.

References

{{Reflist Drug classes defined by psychological effects

Etymology

Use on non-human animals

Police use

See also

References