The U.K. is implementing stricter measures against a synthetic opioid that is 10 times more potent than fentanyl and has been linked to overdoses in Europe.
In response to efforts to reduce fentanyl distribution and a decline in heroin production due to the Taliban’s control in Afghanistan, criminal groups are now resorting to a dangerous substitute. Several health organizations in Europe have recorded an increase in fatalities and drug overdoses linked to a synthetic opioid that is said to be significantly more potent than heroin and up to forty times stronger than fentanyl.
Opioids or BBI, are a class of synthetic opioids primarily used for pain relief and anesthesia.
Opioids, also known as BBI or 2-Benzyl Benzimidazole opioids, are synthetic substances used mainly for pain management and anesthesia.nitazines, are a class of synthetic compound developed in the 1950s as painkillers, but which were never approved for use as medicines.
Due to their high strength when compared to natural opioids like heroin or morphine, they possess a greater potential for addiction and danger. Nitazines have been connected to a larger percentage of overdose fatalities in Estonia and Lithuania, and have also been associated with overdose incidents in Ireland and on the French isle of La Réunion.
In the United States, there is an observation that they are being called “Frankenstein opioids,” and in the recent years, they have been deemed a concern for public health by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to a letter from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction to the Lancet public health journal in February, the presence of Nitazenes is a concerning issue and shifts in the availability of heroin in Europe could lead to a rise in the use of artificial opioids. This could have significant consequences for public health. The current strategies for addressing opioid related problems may not be effective in responding to the introduction of various potent and diverse substances.
The U.K. government declared on Wednesday that it will classify 14 nitazenes as Class A drugs in order to prevent drug-related fatalities and impose severe consequences for those distributing these substances.
Britain’s Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp stated that synthetic opioids are much more hazardous than heroin and have caused numerous deaths abroad. He also expressed the government’s determination to prevent these harmful and deadly substances from infiltrating the communities in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Adam Holland, a drug researcher at England’s Bristol University, wrote a commentary piece in the Lancet in January saying nitazenes had been detected in other drugs being sold as other opioids, along with benzodiazepines and cannabis products, meaning users may not be aware of the risks they face.
According to Holland, the recent efforts by the Taliban to restrict heroin production in Afghanistan have resulted in a potential increase in the usage of nitazenes in Europe.
Holland cautioned that if no action is taken, nitazenes could cause severe harm to communities where there is widespread substance abuse, whether it be occasional drug use or accessing benzodiazepines and opioid painkillers through the internet.
Haley Ott
Source: cbsnews.com