What is more addictive Diazepam or Clonazepam?

In general, it is the onset of action that determines the dependency potential of a drug. In the case of psychotropic recreational drugs, crack cocaine is delivered to the brain more rapidly than cocaine, and as such carries a greater risk for addiction. Similarly, Heroin (a derivative of morphine) is more addictive than morphine because it reaches the brain more rapidly (where is it metabolized into morphine). For the benzodiazepines the situation is less clear. The search for short-acting benzos was fueled first of all by the fact that people were becoming dependent on diazepam. The belief was that the faster you get the stuff out of the system, the less likely for dependence to occur. Didn’t quite work out however, as it was found that people tend to take more of the medication to alleviate the withdrawal. However, for diazepam and clonazepam, the situation is clearer. The onset of action for diazepam is almost immediate, while that of clonazepam is approximately 20-60 mins. The half-lives are about the same (20-100 hrs for diazepam; 19-50 for clonazepam). There is also a psychological factor; clonazepam is typically prescribed to reduce seizure activity, while diazepam (if prescribed at all today) is usually prescribed for anxiety. Thus there is a stronger psychological dependence on diazepam. To answer your question, diazepam is more likely to cause dependence (addiction) than clonazepam due to its: faster onset of action, longer half-life, and greater risk of psychological dependence. Finally, take into consideration that individual differences play an important role in addiction.

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