Nitazenes are a group of extremely strong, synthetic opioid drugs like fentanyl. They act in a similar way to natural opioids (that come from the opium poppy), like morphine or codeine and semi-synthetic opioids such as heroin. However, they are much more dangerous – they can be up to 500 times stronger than heroin and are more likely to stop your breathing than other opioids. They are only found in the illicit drug market, so their purity can vary widely, even in the same batch. Overdosing on nitazenes is very easy.
Nitazenes were originally developed for medical use in the 1950s, but they were never brought into medical use due to the high risk of overdose. They recently re-emerged in the illicit drug market. There is no known safe dosage of nitazenes.
Nitazenes are commonly found in powders or crystals - some are white, brown or yellow. However, they can be indistinguishable from other drugs. They sometimes are found in pills, liquids or vape refills. Sometimes, when people have bought other drugs such as heroin, cocaine or MDMA (ecstasy), they have been contaminated or completely substituted with nitazenes. They have also been found in counterfeit tablets like benzodiazepines and other types of opioids. This can cause them to be taken unknowingly. Drug warnings have been released in NSW, and around Australia warning of nitazenes in other drugs. People have had very severe illness and some deaths have been linked to nitazenes.
