Opioids 40 times more powerful than fentanyl that scare Europe and the United States

The fentanyl is the rising star in the world of opioids and narcotics in general. Until 50 times more powerful from the morphineis finding more and more space as a drug for dealing due to its low cost and the versatility with which it can be used: alone, as a drug cut For the heroineor mixed with cocaine and other exciting ones in a cocktail Speedball style. The deaths in the United States are now tens of thousands every yearand include famous names such as those of Prince And Coolio. And while American authorities try to stem the worst opioid epidemic in their history (with 112 thousand deaths from opioid overdoses recorded in 2023), a new danger is appearing on the horizon. They are called nitazeniand are a class of synthetic opioids also 40 times more potent than fentanyland have already caused more than 200 dead Between Europe And United States since 2019, the year in which they entered the radar of international police forces. Let’s see better what it is.

Old molecules, new life

THE nitazeni I’m a class of opioids synthetic characterized by a peculiar molecular structure. They were discovered in the 1950s in the laboratories of an Austrian chemical company, CIBA Aktiengesellschaft, which synthesized various analogues of the parent molecule, etonitazene, with different levels of affinity for the opioid receptors, and therefore of power. Their use as painkillers has never taken off, also due to the fact that they act quickly dependence and cause easily respiratory depression. And for this reason they were never heard of again for decades, until they appeared on the illegal market narcotic substances.

The first reports date back to 2019 (and follow the inclusion of fentanyl and its derivatives in the tables of United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs), but it is difficult to say exactly when interest in their use as narcotics began, because specific tests are needed to identify these molecules, which are not routinely performed in toxicological investigations. It is believed that several laboratories illegal have begun to synthesize these substances in recent years, using the historical chemical formulas present in pharmacology books and developing new ones, because their power and the fact that they had been forgotten for decades by the authorities makes them perfect designer drugsor substances that mimic the effects of the best-known drugs (in this case the heroine), but they attract less attention and have an unclear legal status, which facilitates trade.

The Taliban effect

As an article by The Conversationthe first appearance of nitazeni as trafficking drugs dates back to 2019, when a batch of isotonitazene in the American Midwest and were reported three deaths in Switzerland caused by doses (very small, moreover) of the substance. This is a slightly less powerful version than the original etonetazenewith effects however much more intense than those of heroin or of morphinewhich make these artificial substances perfect for cutting others opioids (fentanyl included), with serious risks for users, who are often unaware of the substance they are actually taking.

In America i nitazeni they are now widespread throughout almost the entire country, and are produced in Mexicoor on site, from illegal laboratories supplied with raw materials by Asian retailers. The American market has been dominated for some time now by synthetic opioids (they caused more than 75% from the 108 thousand deaths for overdoses recorded in 2021), and fentanyl continues to be the most prevalent, with i nitazeni which still occupy a minority, but growing, share of the business. Europe for its part it has always been a dominated market from heroin, in which synthetic molecules found little space. At least until last year, when the decision of regime Taliban to ban the country’s production of opium poppies has cut off the main source of raw material for producers who supply the continent with heroin. Opening a void (in 2023 it is estimated that it has arrived less than 10% of heroin introduced in Europe the previous year) which is being filled by the opioids synthetic (especially in the Baltic countries). Furthermore, in the last five years, most of the new substances identified byEU Early Warning System on new psychoactive substances They were nitazeniand no more derivatives of fentanyl as in previous years.

Effects and dangers

The effects of nitazeni are those of all opioids: relaxation and feeling of euphoria. The side effects are also the same, including the respiratory depression which can lead to death in case of overdose. Harm dependence quickly, and they are substances little studied on humans, given that they immediately proved to be very unpromising as drugs. And this is precisely what makes them dangerous. They have one high action powerwhich however varies greatly from substance to substance and characteristics pharmacokinetics still relatively mysterious, which make it difficult to predict the body’s response to these substances. To date they have caused around 200 confirmed deaths among United States and Europebut given that their advance seems to have just begun, there is a real risk that in the coming years victims will become progressively more frequent, to the point of perhaps rivaling those of the fentanyl. And for this reason, many experts in recent months are calling for greater efforts to monitor and combat the spread of nitazeni in Europe.