Super-strength ‘Frankenstein’ drugs 300 times more powerful than heroin linked to dozens of deaths in the UK
SUPER-STRENGTH street drugs have been linked to at least 54 deaths in the UK in the last six months.
Nitazenes, believed to be smuggled by criminals to the UK from China, are man-made drugs that mimic the effects of opioids like heroin.
They are mixed with other drugs to create much stronger, and often fatal, results.
The potency of nitazenes has seen them nicknamed the "Frankenstein" drug.
As well as being used in heroin, they are also being mixed with cocaine and anxiety medication, such as Xanax, that can be easily bought online.
This means people don't always know they are consuming the substances, which can be up to 300 times stronger than heroin and fentanyl, which is a leading killer in the US.
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Nitazenes first made UK news in 2021 when an 18-year-old took a non-fatal overdose.
Since then, the drug has surged in popularity, becoming the newest killer on the streets.
Ministers are now calling for nitazenes to be made a Class A drug, like cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.
A spike in deaths linked to the narcotics occurred in the summer, and 54 people across England and nine in Scotland had the drugs in their system when they died.
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Where in the UK has seen the most nitazenes-related deaths?
A total of 16 people in Birmingham died within two months.
A sudden surge in drug-related deaths this summer prompted a warning across the NHS for medical professionals to be aware of the symptoms of synthetic opioid overdoses.
Figures shared with BBC News by the National Crime Agency (NCA) show that 31 per cent (17) of all the 54 deaths recorded came from the West Midlands.
The East of England and Scotland followed next, each reporting nine deaths between June 1 and December 7.
South East England and the South West reported six and five cases, respectively.
Yorkshire and Humber recorded three, the East Midlands and London recorded two and the North West just one.
No deaths were reported in Northern Ireland, Wales or the North East of England.
However, the true total could be higher, as 40 more cases await further testing, the NCA said.
“I’ve lost four or five people"
One woman, Amy, who spoke to the BBC about the drug, said she “wasn’t expecting” the strength of it and compared taking it for the first time to taking heroin.
“It was like a blanket – that’s why it’s been so addictive,” she said, adding that dealers in Birmingham were selling heroin laced with nitazenes inaccurately as fentanyl.
“I’ve lost four or five people over the past few months. I’ve got to stop it,” she added.
Nitazenes were first developed in the 1950s as an alternative painkiller.
But the drugs were so strong and addictive that they were never approved for medical use.
They are available in powder, tablet and liquid form, meaning they can be injected, swallowed, or snorted.
The drugs trigger feelings of pain relief, euphoria, relaxation and sleepiness.
But they can also lead to sweating, itching and nausea.
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The NCA believes nitazenes are being produced in illicit labs in China and often enter the UK in the "post".
In most cases, it is then mixed with heroin by organised gangs, strengthening the drugs being sold on the street.
Synthetic opioids side effects
Signs that someone may have taken one of these drugs:
- Small, narrowed pupils
- Reduced or loss of consciousness
- Dizziness or drowsiness
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Cold or clammy skin
- Blue or grey lips and fingernails
- Low blood pressure or decreased heart rate
Anyone who has taken synthetic opioids and has any of these symptoms should call 999 and seek urgent medical help.
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