As if the opioid epidemic was not devastating enough, healthcare experts are warning of a new and even more potent class of synthetic opioids known as nitazenes.
This group of drugs, which had initially been formulated in the 1950s but never approved for medical use, has now resurfaced to pose an even greater risk than fentanyl.
Potency and Danger
Nitazenes are a staggering 1,000 times more potent than morphine and 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
This increased potency raises the risk of overdose substantially, as smaller amounts of nitazenes can induce the same effects as larger doses of other opioids.
According to Alexandra Amaducci, a study author and an expert in emergency medicine and medical toxicology, nitazene overdoses are not only more likely but also more challenging to treat than fentanyl overdoses.
Overdose Treatment
One of the main ways to treat opioid overdose is by administering naloxone, an opioid antagonist that can reverse and block the impact of opioids.
The study found that nitazene overdoses required significantly more naloxone compared to fentanyl and heroin overdoses.
This suggests that nitazene overdoses are likely to be more severe, necessitating more aggressive intervention.
Underreported Cases
Despite being alarmingly potent, nitazenes have not been on the healthcare radar for long.
First appearing during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, these drugs have been responsible for around 200 overdose deaths in North America and Europe so far.
However, this is suspected to be a significant undercount due to a lack of adequate testing for nitazenes.
The Need for Public Awareness and Policy Changes
Given the clandestine nature of the illegal drug trade, many users may not even be aware that the drugs they are taking contain these extremely potent opioids.
Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, a mental health professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, stresses that we need to treat this issue as a public health problem and adopt harm reduction approaches, including the widespread distribution of naloxone and education about its use.
Conclusion
The emergence of nitazenes represents a worrying evolution in the opioid crisis.
Far more potent than their predecessors and more difficult to treat upon overdose, these synthetic opioids pose an escalating threat that requires urgent and concerted public health interventions.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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