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Leading experts in public health have cautioned that a surge of extremely potent synthetic opioids may contribute to a potential “second wave” of drug-related deaths in the UK.
The UK experiences numerous drug-related deaths every year, although it has not yet been hit by an opioid crisis like the one in the US. However, the highly regarded Faculty of Public Health (FPH) cautioned on Friday that drug markets around the world are changing rapidly, raising concerns that the UK may soon be flooded with extremely potent drugs.
According to experts from FPH, synthetic opioids, particularly nitazenes, are gaining more prevalence in Europe. These opioids can be up to 500 times more potent than heroin and their increase may be due to the Taliban’s efforts to reduce opium production and limit the supply of heroin. This information was shared in a commentary for The Lancet Public Health.
The National Crime Agency has issued a warning that the 54 fatalities linked to nitazenes in the UK over the last six months are most likely just a small portion of the overall issue. These new drugs are not regularly screened for in post-mortem toxicology reports.
The experts are calling on governments to have the courage to take bold and necessary actions in order to prevent further loss of life. They warn that any actions taken at this point will not have been taken soon enough.
These include expanding heroin-prescribing and drug-checking facilities and introducing overdose prevention centres. Widespread calls for the latter are opposed in England by both the Tories and Labour but are now being pursued in Scotland, where there is a political outcry over the scale of the crisis north of the border.
In England and Wales, deaths caused by drug use have reached a peak of almost 5,000 in 2022, marking an 11-year consecutive increase. This trend can be attributed to the departure of opiate users from treatment, as government officials placed a greater emphasis on abstinence rather than methadone. Central funding for drug treatment was also cut and the responsibility for handling drug-related issues was transferred to local councils.
Dr. Adam Holland, co-author, expressed great concern over the rise in deaths linked to nitazenes, especially in light of the ongoing drug-related deaths crisis.
In 2020, activist and former addict Peter Krykant organized an unsanctioned van for drug users to safely consume drugs in Glasgow.
Many of our colleagues are currently doing exceptional work in addressing the rise of nitazenes, but it is time for us to reconsider our overall strategy towards drugs. Simply increasing stigma and criminalization will not effectively resolve the ongoing crisis of drug-related deaths.
The first reported death related to nitazene in the UK occurred in 2019, leading to a series of overdoses in the southeast of England in 2021. According to co-author Dr Caroline Copeland, there was a significant increase in the availability and sales of counterfeit nitazene tablets all across the country last summer.
Although numerous fatalities related to nitazene have been attributed to tainted batches of heroin, these opioids are now being found in various illegally traded prescription drugs such as counterfeit oxycodone (OxyContin), diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax), as well as in cannabis and illicit vaping products.
“The warning was issued on Friday by Dr. Holland, Dr. Copeland, and four other experts from the FPH, Association of Directors of Public Health, and National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths. It highlights the fact that numerous consumers are unknowingly using nitazenes and are not aware of the potential risks they may encounter.”
Experts warn that the actions currently being taken may not have been implemented soon enough.
They expressed concern that without unified efforts, nitazenes have the potential to severely harm populations who use various substances, even those who only use drugs occasionally or obtain benzodiazepines and opioid painkillers online.
The authors expressed concerns that efforts by European authorities to combat the heroin trade may have worsened the issue of nitazene abuse. They noted that effective public health measures are often resisted by politicians who are afraid of being perceived as endorsing drug use by the media and public.
They stated that the same reasoning was used to resist implementing other measures to reduce harm, like needle and syringe programs, which have since saved numerous lives.
“Current governments must once again prioritize allocating resources towards implementing necessary policies in order to prevent further loss of life. The impact of these actions may not be felt immediately, but it is crucial to act now.”
A representative from the government stated that they are closely monitoring the danger posed by synthetic drugs and have created a taskforce to work together across different government departments in order to address the risk of synthetic opioids, specifically nitazenes, in the UK.
Our approach to addressing drug use is centered on addressing the availability of illegal substances through persistent law enforcement efforts. At the same time, we are also aiming to establish a top-notch system for treatment and rehabilitation in order to redirect individuals’ lives and discourage criminal activity.
In December 2021, the government promised to allocate £780m to improve England’s drug services and make them among the best in the world. This decision came after a critical review, commissioned by the Home Office, revealed that the current treatment system is inadequate and has been severely impacted by budget reductions, leaving services struggling.
Source: independent.co.uk
