It is in the class of drugs known as benzodiazepenes which include Valium, Halcion, Xanax and versed. It is not approved for prescription use in the United States, although it is approved in Europe and is used in more than 60 countries as a treatment for insomnia, as a sedative, and as a presurgery anesthetic. It (and the others) can be very addictive and habit-forming. The drug can cause profound "anterograde amnesia;" that is, individuals may not remember events they experienced while under the effects of the drug.