United Nations warns Europe: A drug wreaking more havoc than fentanyl in the US : Coming to the US : nitazene as a class A drug 50 times more potent than heroin ; Nitazenes were originally developed in the 1950s as pain relievers, but are so strong and addictive that they have never been approved for medical or therapeutic use.

George Eduard Caramiciu

Synthetic opioids have been detected in the UK, the United States, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Belgium and Canada, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report.

There has also been an increase in the number of fatal overdoses related to nitazene.

These super-strength drugs, being of several types, are significantly stronger than heroin. Their emergence prompted urgent warnings from health agencies around the world.

This followed a ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, leading to a 95% drop in opium production in 2022.

The UNODC report notes that it is too early to know what long-term effects this will have on factors such as heroin purity, but it is likely that heroin users will switch to other opioids, which could “lead to an increase in overdoses.” .

A BBC investigation this year found nitazenes being smuggled into the UK in dog food packaging and catering supplies, being sold on social media.

Britain has classified nitazene as a class A drug, and those caught making or distributing it face life in prison. However, experts say the government has been too slow to take action to get these drugs off the streets.

Fentanyl, another synthetic opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin. Its highly publicized epidemic in the US contributed to 100,000 deaths in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The UNODC report states that “illegally manufactured fentanyls” are still responsible for “an unprecedented number of overdose deaths” and the numbers “may be falling”.

Global drug use has increased by 20 percent over the past decade, reaching 292 million users in 2022, according to the report.

Cannabis remains the most widely used drug, with 228 million users worldwide. It is followed by:

Opioids – 60 million

Amphetamines – 30 million

Cocaine – 23 million

Ecstasy – 20 million

What are Nitazenes?

Nitazenes were originally developed in the 1950s as pain relievers, but are so strong and addictive that they have never been approved for medical or therapeutic use.

Injecting, inhaling or swallowing them, mixed with other drugs and alcohol, is extremely dangerous and significantly increases the risk of overdose and death. These new drugs are included in the UK’s Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.

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