Cocaine Is Laced With Powerful Opioids Called Nitases. Here’s Why It’s a Dangerous Mix

Earlier this month, drugs sold as cocaine in Melbourne They were found to be contaminated with a powerful group of opioids often called nitazans.

These latest synthetic drugs are also suspected to have caused the deaths of 4 people. hospitalized in Sydney in May. And in April, nitazenes were present in drugs utilized by about 20 people who overdosed on the outskirts of Sydney.

So what are nitrazans, why are they so dangerous, and the way can we minimize the damage they cause?

What are nitazans?

Nitazenes are a group of synthetic opioidsThis means they’re made in a laboratory (unlike morphine and heroin, which come from opium poppies).

Nitazenes were developed within the Nineteen Fifties to expand pain management options, but research was abandoned because they were too dangerous. There isn’t any modern medical use for these drugs.

Other commonly used opioids include: heroin, morphine AND fentanylthat are used for medical and non-medical purposes.

Nitazenes vary in strength and purity but will be ten times stronger than fentanyl and as much as 500 times stronger than heroin.

Some people use nitazine intentionally for a stronger effect, but it surely has also been present in many popular recreational drugs in Australia, akin to cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy) AND ketamineThis signifies that some people could also be taking nitazine without knowing it.

Because all of those drugs are produced illegally, they aren’t quality controlled, so individuals who take them don’t know what they’re taking or how strong the drugs are.

Why are nitizenes so dangerous?

When someone takes nitazine, it’s very thin line between poisoning and overdose. Because these drugs are so powerful, they will be especially dangerous for individuals who aren’t used to taking opioids.

They also work in a short time and might stay within the body longer than other opioids. If someone has taken an excessive amount of heroin, it takes an hour or more before they stop respiratory, whereas within the case of nitazone this could occur after just a couple of minutes.

Opioids disrupt the a part of the brain that controls respiratory. An individual overdosing on opioids could have a strong pulse, but their respiratory shall be shallow or stop.

Gaining nitizens when combined with one other illegal drug could make them much more dangerous. There is a risk of antagonistic effects from each drugs, and if someone uses a stimulant akin to cocaine with an opioid, the stimulant can sometimes Hood effects of opioids, so that they may not initially realize they’ve overdosed.

How big is the size of this problem?

Places like United Statesthis United Kingdom AND Ireland In recent years now we have seen a worrying increase within the variety of overdoses related to nitazenes, due to this fact experts in Australia We fear that we’ll follow of their footsteps.

In Australia, medicines sold as cocaine, MDMA AND ketaminemore people could also be susceptible to overdose.

Although only a relatively small proportion of the population uses cocaine, its use is on the rise has increased significantly within the last 20 years in Australia. In 2022–2023, 4.5% of the population reported using cocaine within the last 12 months, up from 1.3% in 2001.

MDMA use has declined through the COVID pandemic, but there are some signs it’s going to it’s rising againIn 2023, 2.7% of the population reported using MDMA no less than once within the previous 12 months.

Ketamine also has gained popularity as a recreational drug. In 2022–2023, 1.4% of the population reported using ketamine within the last 12 months, up from 0.4% in 2016. Around 4.2% of Australians of their 20s reported using ketamine in 2022–2023.

Most individuals who use this sort of medication achieve this only occasionally, however the harmful effects of nitazone will be a concern even for individuals who use it just once.

Reducing the chance of harm

People who use drugs akin to cocaine, MDMA or ketamine can get tested at drug checking service. However, drug testing services are currently only available in Capital Territory of Australia AND Queensland. Victoria is as a consequence of receive the service by the tip of this 12 months.

Australians can even buy nitazene test stripswhich might detect the presence of nitazenes in a drug sample. While cross-reactivity is usually a problem with drug test strips, recent tests have found that strips with nitazenes don’t cause cross reactions to the group of other commonly occurring substances outside the nitazen class.

If you may’t get a drug test, ensure you purchase from a reputable dealer, only take a small amount to begin with when buying a latest batch (we recommend a quarter of your normal dose), and never use alone. If you are with a group of friends, use steadily or ensure you are with someone who doesn’t use, sort of like a designated driver.

If you employ these kinds of medications repeatedly, you may keep them naloxone readily available. Naloxone reverses the consequences of opioids by temporarily blocking opioid receptors within the brain. It is free in pharmacies across Australia to anyone who may experience or witness an opioid overdose.

If you or someone you recognize has difficulty respiratory or other antagonistic symptoms after taking this medication, call 911 immediately, even when naloxone has been given.

There are some easy things governments can do to prevent damage we have seen in other countries from nitazenes. They could expand harm reduction services, akin to drug checking and supervised injection services, and be sure that now we have sufficient supplies of naloxone.