A drug, believed to be 50-500 times more effective than heroin, has become a major cause of concern in London, UK. Authorities have issued a warning over the deadly synthetic opioid named Nitazene, which is gaining popularity among partygoers. The drug, which is apparently similar to fentanyl, is suspected to be the reason behind two recent deaths, the BBC reported, adding that even tiny doses can be fatal.
The Metropolitan Police said that an investigation is underway into the "sudden deaths" of a 28-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman in Southall on May 26.
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"This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill," a spokesperson for the force said as quoted by the BBC.
The Loop, a UK-based drug testing charity, said that the pills contain synthetic opioids called Nitazenes. The pills can be "50 to 500 times stronger than heroin", and they look like oxycodone pills (oxys).
In an Instagram post, East London nightclub The Cause said that the pills had caused "several hospitalisations across multiple London venues".
What are nitazenes?
Nitazenes were developed in the 1950s as pain-relieving agents. BBC reported that these drugs suppress the respiratory system, hence, people die as they stop breathing. The report also noted that a person can be saved by taking naloxone, which is an antidote.
There have been at least 18 deaths linked to nitazenes in London from May 2023 to June 2024, as per the most recent government data.
The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) in a recent report highlighted rapid shifts in Europe's drug market. The report noted that this trend has created new health and security risks.
As per EUDA, a total of 88 new synthetic opioids have appeared on the European market since 2009. All of the seven new synthetic opioids formally notified to the EWS were nitazenes in 2024. A total of 22 nitazenes are being monitored in Europe to date in Europe.
"A recent EUDA pilot threat assessment, focusing on new synthetic opioids in the Baltics, found that nitazenes accounted for a significant share of overdose deaths in Estonia and Latvia. In 2024, at least seven EU Member States and Norway reported harms linked to nitazenes," the EUDA report read.
