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A guide to fentanyl – Meet the fentanyls
With a vast range of forms and potencies, the fentanyl family bring too many unknowns. Kevin Flemen gives an essential guide. Click here to read it in DDN Magazine Kevin Flemen, KFX training Another day, another drug warning – lately we’ve had drug scare after drug scare. There was flesh-eating Krokodil, Bath Salt cannibals, […]
More action needed to avert US-style fentanyl crisis, says ACMD
Fentanyl and its analogues present a ‘significant ongoing risk’ to public health in the UK, according to an ACMD report, with more needing to be done to mitigate it. US deaths involving fentanyl While rates of registered deaths involving fentanyls have increased over the last ten years the number is still ‘likely to […]
National Crime Agency issues fentanyl warning
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has taken the ‘unusual step’ of warning drug users to be vigilant following the detection of powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl in heroin supplies in the north east of England. Fentanyl and its analogue carfentanyl are thought to have contributed to recent deaths among drug users in the Yorkshire, Cleveland […]
DDN February 2020
[…] the UK, and this summit will bring us togetiher to tackle the issuei of drug misuse,’ said event chair, crime minister Kit Malthouse. Act now to avoid fentanyl crisis FENTANYL AND ITS ANALOGUES present a ‘significant ongoing risk’ to public health in lthe UK, accorbing to an ACMD report, with more neebing to be […]
There’s something in the heroin
Claire Gilbert, Tony Margetts, Gilda Nunez, Bryony Sedgwick and Tim Allison describe their response to the emergence of fentanyl and carfentanil in their local area. Hull and the East Riding have been at the centre of a cluster of drug-related deaths from the end of 2016 to the end of May 2017 that appear […]
‘Cheap and easy’ synthetic drugs transforming markets, says UNODC
[…] drugs are changing the market with devastating effects. ‘Cheap and easy’ synthetic drugs are ‘changing drug markets with lethal results’, according to UNODC’s World drug report 2023. Fentanyl has ‘drastically altered the opioid market in North America with dire consequences’, it says, with the majority of the country’s approximately 90,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in […]
Fentanyl behind 80 per cent increase in New York overdose deaths
Fentanyl use has driven the massive rise in overdose deaths in New York City Drug overdose deaths in New York City have increased by almost 80 per cent since 2019, the city’s health department has announced, largely driven by an increase in fentanyl use. There were 2,668 overdose deaths in the city in […]
Afghan opium cultivation drops by 95 per cent
[…] near-total contraction of the opiate economy is expected to have far-reaching consequences,’ the agency states, warning that it ‘could spur the emergence of harmful alternatives, such as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids’. The experience of the US demonstrates how easily cheaper and readily available alternatives can displace heroin, the report states. ‘The emergence of […]
Stayin’ alive
[…] is innovation and harm reduction lead at Cranstoun; Maddie O’Hare is deputy director of HIT Related articles: (Features, June 2017): Meet the Fentanyls, a guide to the fentanyl family by Kevin Flemen. (News, August 2023): Better utilisation of data and data sharing, including early warning systems, is needed to address the escalating drug crisis […]
Before it’s too late
[…] the UK (Partner Updates, September 2023): Release, alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. (News, January 2023): Fentanyl behind 80% increase in New York’s overdose deaths (Features, June 2017): Meet the Fentanyls, a guide to the fentanyl family by Kevin Flemen. Search the DDN archive for […]
Met seizes 150,000 nitazene tablets
[…] often requiring multiple doses of naloxone. Many in the treatment sector are concerned that the UK drug market may be flooded with synthetic opioids like nitazenes and fentanyl as a result of the Taliban’s opium ban in Afghanistan. Opium poppy cultivation in the country has fallen by 95 per cent since last year, according […]
Review of the year – 2023
[…] to come on this side of the Atlantic, New York City’s health department attributes an almost 80 per cent increase in overdose deaths since 2019 largely to fentanyl. More than a million Americans have now died from a drug overdose since 2000, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, the number […]
In the pipeline
[…] supplies’ and 50 per cent were leaving with naloxone, he states. ‘These were communities that we weren’t getting naloxone to, and this was during the period of fentanyl being found in stimulants.’ Smoke Works at Harm Reduction 2025, #HR25 in Bogota FENTANYL CONTAMINATION When he’d started working in needle exchange two years previously it […]
Nitazenes ‘increasingly posing major health risks’, warns UNODC
The emergence of nitazenes is ‘increasingly posing major health risks in some countries’, according to UNODC’s World drug report 2024. More new nitazenes than fentanyl analogues are now being reported in Europe ‘The number of new unique nitazenes at the global level is now approaching the number of fentanyl analogues not under international control,’ […]
No time to lose
[…] what has happened… there has been an absolutely terrifying level of death.’ Market tilt In Vancouver people weren’t able to get heroin that hadn’t been cut with fentanyl. An added complication was that people were actively seeking fentanyl – ‘they like the rush and the euphoria and they don’t want to go back to […]
Testing the limits
[…] the UK (Partner Updates, September 2023): Release, alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. (News, January 2023): Fentanyl behind 80% increase in New York’s overdose deaths (Features, June 2017): Meet the Fentanyls, a guide to the fentanyl family by Kevin Flemen. Search the DDN archive […]
Raising the alarm on synthetic opioids – why the UK should not be complacent
[…] alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. (Features, June 2017): Meet the Fentanyls, a guide to the fentanyl family by Kevin Flemen. (News, January 2023): Fentanyl behind 80% increase in New York’s overdose deaths Search the DDN archive for more on nitazenes, fentanyl and synthetic opioids. […]
Nitazenes detected in 25 Scottish drug deaths
[…] known as nitazenes, have adulterated a number of illicit drugs in the UK. Information and downloadable resources. (Features, June 2017): Meet the Fentanyls, a guide to the fentanyl family by Kevin Flemen. (News, August 2023): Better utilisation of data and data sharing, including early warning systems, is needed to address the escalating drug crisis in the […]
Highest ever drug death total for England and Wales
[…] known as nitazenes, have adulterated a number of illicit drugs in the UK. Information and downloadable resources. (Features, June 2017): Meet the Fentanyls, a guide to the fentanyl family by Kevin Flemen. (News, August 2023): Better utilisation of data and data sharing, including early warning systems, is needed to address the escalating drug crisis in the […]
OHID issues new guidance on dealing with synthetic opioid threats
Updated guidance for commissioners and local services on preparing for, and responding to, incidents involving fentanyl and nitazenes has been issued by OHID. Fentanyls are still causing ‘significant issues’ Fentanyls are still causing ‘significant issues’ in the US and Canada, and there are signs that they are being seen more often in local drug […]
A glimpse of the future?
[…] by the BC Centre for Disease Control in 2016. This was in response to rising rates of drug overdose and deaths, partly caused by increasing use of fentanyl. The rise of fentanyl in North America points to a huge incoming problem for us in Europe. As was the case in the US, opioid prescriptions […]
Slight fall in ‘staggeringly high’ US drug death figures
[…] people dead since the country’s drug death crisis began. The data also shows increases in fatalities in a number of states, ‘particularly on the west coast where fentanyl has more recently entered their drug supply’, the organisation points out. Overdose deaths in Oregon were up by almost 30 per cent, Nevada by 29 per […]
Afghanistan sees shift from opium to methamphetamine production
[…] new UNODC report aims to provide the international community with vital information to tackle the growing synthetic drug threat.’ ‘Shocking as the spectre of further encroachment of fentanyl into UK illicit opioid supply chains may be, the landscape is already more troubling,’ stated a recent analysis by Transform. ‘Fentanyl is just the first of […]
Shared perspectives
[…] rise there has been in fatal overdoses in British Columbia (BC) since the street supply has become contaminated by cheap and often poorly made synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanyl. The already high number of overdose deaths here suddenly climbed steeply from just over 400 in 2014 to 1,600 in 2018, in a province […]
Harm reduction flyers on nitazenes
[…] increase of nitazenes detected across the UK drug supply. These substances are a class of synthetic opioids that are believed to be as strong (or stronger) than fentanyl. The 2022 Afghan ban on heroin production, jointly with a spike in heroin price and availability across Europe, may have triggered its appearance in the market. […]
SDF launches nitazenes resource pack
[…] the start of the year, with their continuing presence suggesting they have ‘become an established part of supply and may prefigure the introduction of similar drugs including fentanyls which have caused many deaths in the United States and elsewhere’, SDF states. Although Scotland’s drug death total fell by 21 per cent last year, the […]
Myanmar overtakes Afghanistan as largest opium source
[…] the UK (Partner Updates, September 2023): Release, alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. (News, January 2023): Fentanyl behind 80% increase in New York’s overdose deaths Search the DDN archive for more on opium, nitazenes, fentanyl and synthetic opioids. The Golden Triangle Opium head […]
DDN_November_2023
[…] the highest in Europe (https://www.drinkanddrugsnews. com/scottish-drug-deaths-down- by-a-fifth/). Many people in the sector have also warned about the risks associated with powerful synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and fentanyls entering the countryâs drug supply. âEveryone seems to know that Scotland has an astonishing rate of drug-related deaths and that was before we saw this emerging […]
DDN November 2020
[…] involvinb cocaine have risen by more than 26 per cent for women and 7 per p cent for men since last year, while poisoninbs involvinb NPS and fentanyl have remained stable. Drub-related poisoninb rates have been on a âsteep upward trendâ since 2012, says ONS, in line with trajectories in Scotland and Northern Europe. […]
DDN June 2020
[…] reported in Europe, North America and Soutmh West Asia, accordinb to a UNODC report on COVID-19 and drub supplym, increasinb the risk that people may switch to fentanyl or its derivatives. Afbhanistan’s poppy harvest is beinb affected by the pandemicm, as is cocaine production in Colombia, which has bmeen hit by basoline shortabes. Disruption […]
A prescription for pain
[…] As well as his opioids he also takes regular diazepam, although over the years the dose of this has come down. He is currently on a 100mcg fentanyl patch, co-codamol and Oramorph. He freely admits that he is dependent on these but as they were started by a doctor, he doesn’t feel he should […]
Record drug deaths for England and Wales
[…] were classed as the result of ‘drug misuse’, with the highest rate of these in the 40-49 age group. Although deaths from ‘most opioids’ have remained steady, fentanyl-related deaths have continued to rise – to 75, from 58 in 2016 – while deaths related to cocaine have now increased for six consecutive years. There were 432 […]
Harm reduction on a knife edge
[…] replaced by ‘a mush of dubious interventions’, including an over-reliance on urine testing. ‘Significant numbers of drug-related deaths this year, including several believed to be linked to fentanyl’ have not prompted a relevant response. ‘The focus appears to be more on data requirements rather than interventions around reducing risk,’ he says. ‘There has been […]
Cry For Help
[…] then as an outpatient I was given oxycontin. I was moved up to a London hospital at the end of 2007, where they switched me onto IV fentanyl, because the morphine had exacerbated my condition, making me even more ill. I’d had lots of surgery, lots of procedures, and was eventually discharged in 2008 […]
MDMA back in vogue as NPS numbers continue to rise
[…] ‘may be sold as heroin to unsuspecting users, posing a risk of overdose’, it says. In 2015, 32 deaths in Europe were linked to the opioid acetyl fentanyl. Around 1.2 m people received treatment for illicit drug use across the EU in 2014, and there were 6,800 opioid-related deaths – slightly up on previous […]
Xylazine ban comes into force
[…] ban follows a recommendation from the ACMD last year. The drug, a non-opioid known as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’ in the US – especially when mixed with fentanyl or heroin – has been associated with a range of dangerous side effects, including large skin lesions. The new legislation sees 22 substances banned under the […]
Xylazine now in UK drug market, warn King’s College researchers
[…] The UK’s first xylazine death was a 43-year-old man in Solihull. The drug, known in the US as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’ – especially when mixed with fentanyl or heroin – has been associated with dangerous side effects such as large open skin ulcers. As xylazine is not an opioid its own effects cannot be […]
Naloxone overdose reversal medication
[…] the central nervous system and respiratory system and allows the person to breath normally again. If someone is experiencing an overdose from opiates – such as heroin, fentanyl, methadone and morphine – having a naloxone kit handy can mean the difference between life and death. It will reverse the breathing difficulties caused by an […]
DDN051031
[…] 5,000 fully trained nurses out of a total of 440,000, who will have to demon- strate their competency. Five drugs – diamorphine, morphine, oxyco- done, buprenorphine and fentanyl – will be prescribed, administered and supplied by nurses for pain relief orpalliative care. Chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride and diazepam will also be prescribed by these specialist nurses, […]
Global drug use at historically high levels
[…] the drugs can be produced closer to their intended markets – with lower operational costs and less risk of detection. ‘By 2024 more new nitazenes than new fentanyl analogues were being reported by member states to UNODC, and accounted for almost 50 per cent of all reported opioid NPS,’ the report says. The report’s […]
‘Longest standing’ dark web drug market shut down by police
[…] drug market, Europol has announced. ‘Archetyp Market’, which had more than 600,000 global users, was one of the few darknet market places to allow the sale of fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids, ‘contributing to the growing threat posed by these substances in Europe and beyond’, says Europol. The site had over 17,000 listings […]
Almost 90 new synthetic opioids on European market since 2009
[…] that nitazenes accounted for a ‘significant share’ of overdose deaths in Estonia and Latvia, with the substances appearing to have ‘filled a vacuum following the decline of fentanyl and heroin, highlighting the adaptability of local drug markets’. There has long been speculation that the Taliban’s 2022 opium ban could lead to gaps in the […]
Cranstoun partners with Durham PCC and police on new drug testing scheme
[…] misuse Suspects taken into custody by Durham Constabulary will be tested to determine if they have recently taken class A drugs, including opiates, such as heroin or fentanyl, or cocaine. Those who test positive will be referred to schemes where they can address their substance misuse and be offered the expert help they need […]
Powerful new campaign to prevent drug deaths
[…] about empowering people to save lives.’ Naloxone is a safe and effective medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, including those caused by heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers. It is available in easy-to-use kits from New Vision Bradford and anyone can use it with just ten minutes of training. Behind the […]
Local heroes
[…] Once embedded in communities, the hub provides resources like needle and syringe provision, hepatitis C testing, naloxone and testing strips to enable people to check for nitazenes, fentanyl and xylazine. ‘The service means people can test their heroin before putting it in their body,’ says peer coordinator with The Hepatitis C Trust, Richard Jacklin. […]
Now hear this
[…] desire the presence of – nitazenes. ‘The thing is,’ George explained, ‘everyone buying pressed oxies knows they really contain synthetics. “Pressed pill” is basically slang for either fentanyl or nitazenes.’ This highlights the first way in which our treatment services and harm reduction messaging are letting people down. We fail to recognise that some […]
Strong suit
[…] systems were all discussed and there was such a feeling of dedication and togetherness, especially surrounding policy changes, how we tackle drug deaths, and the nitazenes and fentanyl crisis. Hearing success stories and challenges from other lived experience recovery organisations reinforced the importance of our mission at SUIT. The team feel renewed and ready […]
Cranstoun response to Scottish drug deaths: evidence must prevail to prevent tragedy
[…] Canada, one of the epicenters of the synthetics drugs crisis. The teeth marks of the crisis remain incredibly visible, after an explosion of potent synthetics such as fentanyl wreaked havoc in various parts of Canada and the US. Both the US and Canada have called public health emergencies, and drug deaths have risen exponentially […]
Government announces plans to ban xylazine
[…] dose’ the government states. It will continue to be legally available for veterinary prescribing. Known in the US as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’, especially when mixed with fentanyl or heroin, xylazine has been associated with dangerous side effects such as large skin ulcers. As it is not an opioid its effects cannot be reversed […]
DDN conference 2024: session one
[…] and other opiate pill supplies.’ Nor was it just limited to nitazenes – there was also the synthetic non-opioid xylazine (known as ‘tranq’ in the US), along with fentanyl and its analogues. ‘The number of people dying continues to rise, and half of these people are still not in contact with treatment. In England we […]
Changing with the times
[…] of £7,500 to construct the space and order supplies and furniture. The crowdfunder remains open to support us in purchasing additional supplies such as nitazene, xylazine and fentanyl test strips. Harm reduction is much more than drug checking tools and sterile syringes. It’s about promoting a rights-based approach and ‘meeting people where they’re at,’ […]
Government bans 14 nitazenes
[…] crisis in the UK (Partner Updates, September 2023): Release, alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. Search the DDN archive for more on vaping, nitazenes, fentanyl and synthetic opioids. The government has also introduced its tobacco and vapes bill crime and policing minister Chris Philp
Codeine cough syrup to be prescription-only
[…] and analgesic in veterinary medicine, xylazine is ‘increasingly being used illicitly by humans internationally and in the UK’, the report states. The drug is often combined with fentanyl in the US as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing an alert related to the increased prevalence of overdose deaths […]
European heroin market worth EUR 5bn a year
[…] most of the newly identified opioid substances reported to the EU early warning system on new psychoactive substances have been highly potent benzimidazole (nitazene) opioids, rather than fentanyl derivatives as in previous years,’ it says. ‘Although we are seeing a decline in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, close monitoring of the supply chain and […]
Scotland expands naloxone provision to community pharmacies
[…] (https://www.drinkanddrugsnews.com/scottish-drug-deaths-down-by-a-fifth/). Scottish Drugs Forum CEO Kirsten Horsburgh Many people in the sector have also warned about the risks associated with powerful synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and fentanyls entering the country’s drug supply. ‘Everyone seems to know that Scotland has an astonishing rate of drug-related deaths and that was before we saw this emerging […]
In-cell videos to inform and inspire prison clients
[…] Advice & information Since then, we have also made videos to make prisoners aware of the harm caused by substances. For example, we produced a video on fentanyl (a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin), presenting the facts about the psychological and physical impact of the substance, and how to help […]
DDN_October_2023
[…] its opium ban a year later. Many people fear that the opium ban â if sustained and successful â will see heroin replaced by far more potent fentanyls and nitazenes in the drug market, with significantly higher risks of overdose. There have already been several reports of nitazenes entering the UKâs drug supply, with […]