At least 54 deaths in the UK over the past six months have been linked to nitazenes, a synthetic opioid more potent than heroin and fentanyl, according to the BBC. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said a further 40 cases are awaiting testing, suggesting the true toll could be higher.
Nitazenes, first developed in the 1950s as a painkiller but never approved for medical use, are believed to be manufactured in Chinese labs and imported into the UK. The government plans to classify 15 new synthetic opioids as Class A drugs following a spike in deaths this summer, which prompted a National Patient Safety Alert.
In Birmingham, 16 deaths occurred in two months. Dr Justin Varney, the city's director of public health, warned nitazenes could be a "turning moment in the drug market" and cause a global problem. A long-term heroin user, Amy, described the drug as like a "blanket" and said she lost four or five friends in recent months.
Jackie McAnoy's son Simeon, 33, died in October after taking heroin laced with nitazenes. She called for government intervention, warning of an epidemic. The NCA believes nitazenes are mixed with heroin by organised gangs, often entering the UK via post.
