Are sedatives legal or illegal

Answer 1

There is a lot of confusion among the public as to what a sedative is as opposed to a sleeping pill or "knockout" pills.

A sedative produces a state of lessened physical activity. It is NOT a sleeping pill. If someone has a need to keep pacing around the room, this person can be helped with a sedative. They may close their eyes when resting, however, this is not sleeping. Physical activity will be affected but it will not put him to sleep. It is possible that a higher dose of a sedative can be used as a sleeping pill. All drugs that are used for sedation can be very dangerous when used with alcohol. Tranquilizers commonly have some sedative properties and when starting on such a pill it is common for the doctor to tell the patient to take only half a pill for a few days to determine how or if the patient can tolerate them. Also, do not operate machinery until the patient learns if they can tolerate the medication. Some patients are affected to the point they appear DRUNK.


A number of common medications have the side effect of drowsiness, consequently, they are often used as sleeping pills to assist in treating insomnia because they are NONADDICTIVE, and relatively safe. Many are sold OTC (over the counter, no prescription needed). Also, most of them are not too toxic, and there is usually no drug "hangover" the next day. However, all medications have some side effects if taken in a higher dose and the concept of....... "one is good, two are better" does not hold true. Follow the instructions on the label or your doctor's orders.

Answer 2

Sedatives are legal when prescribed by a healthcare professional for a legitimate medical purpose. However, they can be illegal if obtained and used without a prescription or for recreational purposes. It's important to use sedatives only as directed by a doctor to avoid legal issues.