Which of the following is an example of Class C drugs?

• A. Benzodiazepines, tranquillisers and sleeping tablets.
• B. Cannabis, codeine and ketamine.
• C. MDMA and methamphetamine.
• D. Heroin and cocaine.

Answer: (A)

Class C drugs are medicines with legitimate medical use but a meaningful risk of dependence and harm, so they’re regulated more tightly than ordinary medicines but not as tightly as the highest-risk drugs. The best example here is benzodiazepines, tranquillisers and sleeping tablets, because these drugs are commonly prescribed for anxiety, sedation or insomnia, yet misuse can lead to dependence and withdrawal issues, placing them in Class C rather than higher classes. The other groupings involve substances judged to be more harmful or to have a higher potential for abuse (such as MDMA, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, which are typically Class A), or substances like cannabis, ketamine and codeine that are placed in Class B due to a different risk profile in many regulations.