Quaaludes is both the street name and a former prescription drug brand name for methaqualone (and other similar drugs). Methaqualone was a sedative and hypnotic medication that used to be available by prescription in the United States and Europe in the 1960's thru the early 1980's. It was used to treat anxiety and insomnia by increasing GABA receptor activity in a similar manner to benzodiazepines and barbiturates, only with a higher incidence of side effects and addiction potential. Methaqualone was removed from the market in the US and Europe in the early 1980's due to widespread abuse and addiction, and also because data showed that benzodiazepines could treat anxiety and insomnia just as well, if not better, and had a much lower potential for abuse and addiction. Quaaludes started becoming a popular party drug in clubs (and a date rape drug) in the 1970's and continued to be into the 1990's, known variously as "ludes" or "sopers" (also "soaps") in the United States and "mandrakes" and "mandies" in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It started becoming seen less frequently in the late 80's, this was in part due to the DEA reclassifying it as a Schedule I controlled substance in 1984, which made its sale or use illegal even for medical uses, making the drug much harder to obtain as doctors could no longer prescribe it.