'MAJOR THREAT'
Fresh warning over new ‘super strength’ Frankenstein drug nitazene that is ‘300 times stronger than heroin’
Nitazenes are being mixed with anxiety medication that can be easily bought online
A NEW super-strength street drug found to be 300 times stronger than heroin poses a growing threat, experts have warned.
A ban on poppy farms thousands of miles away in Afghanistan means its derivative - heroin - is soaring in price as it becomes scarcer.
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Drug lords are switching to powerful man-made opioids called nitazenes, to plug the gap in the market.
Experts from around the world have been sounding the alarm over the increasing prevalence of the drug on the streets for years.
As well as being cut into heroin, nitazenes are also being mixed with cocaine and anxiety medication, such as Xanax, that can easily be bought online.
This means people don't always know they are taking the dangerous substances.
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The National Crime Agency (NCA) has recently 65 nitazene-related deaths in the UK over the second half of 2023.
There have been clusters of fatalities in Bristol, Basildon, Coventry and the West Midlands, with nitazenes also in Glasgow.
British jails are also facing an influx of deadly drugs, with 15 non-intentional drug deaths confirmed in prisons in England and Wales in 2022, according to .
In October, a police raid on a "sophisticated factory" in London recovered approximately 150,000 nitazene tablets - the largest-ever recovered stash of synthetic opioids
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Nitazenes were made a Class A drug, like cocaine, ecstasy and heroin, at the end of last year after mounting pressure from MPs.
They can be up to 300 times stronger than heroin, seeing them nicknamed "Frankenstein" opioids as they are so powerful.
Growing problems in Europe
In January, experts at the Faculty of Public Health warned a potential increase of nitazenes could fuel a “second wave” of the UK’s current drug deaths crisis.
Britain already suffers thousands of fatal overdoses every year but does not experience anything like the US opioid epidemic, which has killed 645,000 people between 1999 and 2021.
Their warning was highlighted by the EU’s drugs monitoring agency, which published .
It discussed the rapid increase in fatal overdoses in countries where citizens are already prevalent, such as Estonia and Latvia.
“Nitazenes pose a credible threat,” wrote five experts at the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
“Predicted changes in heroin availability in Europe could herald an increase in the use of synthetic opioids with possibly profound implications for public health," they added.
They warned of signs that “problems associated with nitazenes might be growing in the EU" as more cases are being reported across the continent.
Pastor Mick Fleming, founder of a Christian charity called Church on The Street, said he used to see around three heroin or morphine-related deaths a year.
This year, they have already seen eight due to the influx of nitazenes in the UK.
The former gangland criminal is now working with drug and alcohol services across the UK to get more people trained in using the lifesaver drug Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of opioids and save the life of someone who has overdosed.
“What we really need is for Naxolone to be available up and down the country, with people trained to use it in every local area, in supermarkets, chemists, and local shops -and for the police to be trained to use it, too.
“People struggling with addiction are human beings”, he said.
What are nitazenes?
Nitazenes were first developed in the 1950s as an alternative painkiller.
However, the drugs were so strong and addictive that they were never approved for medical use.
They are available in powder, tablet, and liquid form, which means they can be injected, swallowed, or snorted.
The drug can trigger feelings of pain relief, euphoria, relaxation and sleepiness.
But they can also lead to sweating, itching and nausea.
Nitazenes first made UK news in 2021 when an 18-year-old took a non-fatal overdose.
Since then, the drug has surged in popularity, becoming the newest killer on the streets.
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The NCA believes nitazenes are being produced in illicit labs in China and often enter the UK in the "post".
In most cases, it is then mixed with heroin by organised gangs, strengthening the drugs being sold on the street.
Synthetic opioids side effects
Signs that someone may have taken one of these drugs:
- Small, narrowed pupils
- Reduced or loss of consciousness
- Dizziness or drowsiness
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Cold or clammy skin
- Blue or grey lips and fingernails
- Low blood pressure or decreased heart rate
- Anyone who has taken synthetic opioids and has any of these symptoms should call 999 and seek urgent medical help
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