Protonitazene, 100 times stronger than heroin, is circulating in Australia’s illicit drug market, health authorities have warned after a number of overdoses.
It comes after Victorian Police confirmed synthetic opioids were detected in four bodies in a Melbourne house last month, including a 17-year-old boy.
The state’s health department has issued a drug alert for a white opioid powder being sold as cocaine.
In 2022, synthetic opioids caused over 200 deaths, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Here’s the latest.
Opioids
Opioids are a group of drugs that can block pain messages to the brain and boost feelings of relaxation.
Like morphine, are prescribed in medical settings to relieve severe pain. They’re also commonly used illicitly.
Drugs like fentanyl and protonitazene are created in labs to mimic natural opioids. These drugs, known as novel synthetic opioids (NSO), are much more potent.
Synthetic opioids
In 2023, around 75,000 people died from synthetic opioids in the U.S, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. They are becoming increasingly popular in Australia.
Nitazenes are a type of NSOs developed around 60 years ago. They were never approved for medicinal use due to a high overdose risk. As medical research on nitazenes is limited, they can be harder to detect in users.
Fentanyl, another NSO, can be prescribed legally for pain treatment. It is a highly addictive substance.
Novel synthetic opioids in Australia
Protonitazene is an NSO that’s 100 times stronger than heroin and is causing a number of deaths in Australia due to overdoses.
Last week, police confirmed a synthetic opioid was detected in four people found dead inside a Melbourne home.
Victoria Health has since issued an alert for protonitazene, which it said is being sold as cocaine. It warned that very small amounts of the substance can have life-threatening effects.
NSW Health issued a warning in May after four nitazene overdoses in the state, two of which involved protonitazene.
One person thought they were taking a weaker substance, while another thought thought they were taking cocaine and ketamine.
That month, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) seized over 700 synthetic opioid tablets from the UK.
It led to a joint warning from the AFP and the Australian Border Force (ABF) about NSOs, saying “there is no such thing as a safe dosage”.
Protonitazene overdose in Australia
Signs of an opioid overdose include losing consciousness, slow breathing or struggling to breathe, and small pupils.
Health authorities have urged the community to call Triple Zero immediately if some one is experiencing a suspected overdose.
Naloxone is a nasal spray or injection available for free at pharmacies across Australia.
It can be administered to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
