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NHS Scotland issues alert about ‘sudden collapse’ overdoses
[…] cases in other areas people have very sadly died. We’re advising people who use drugs to be extra vigilant.’ Due to the potency of synthetic opioids like nitazenes, you may need to administer multiple doses of naloxone People should also ensure they had ready access to naloxone kits, he added. ‘And due to the […]
nitazenes
NPS are being detected in Europe at a rate of around one a week, including highly potent synthetic opioids
Fall in suspected Scottish drug deaths
[…] ‘Drug-checking facilities would enable us to respond faster to emerging drug trends – which is particularly important given the presence of highly dangerous, super-strong synthetic opioids like nitazenes in an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply. These increase the risk of overdose, hospitalisation and death, and are being found in a range of substances.’ […]
Festival spirit
[…] Polydrug use was on the rise in Estonia, said Oja, with increasing rates of drug-related harms. The Baltic states were also seeing a surge in use of nitazenes, he said, as highlighted in the EMCDDA’s latest European drug report (see news, page 4), and with a consequent rise in drug-related deaths. It was a […]
Confidentiality key in drug-checking services, says study
[…] year, Scotland’s death rate remains the highest in Europe and many in the drugs field are concerned about the potential impact of highly potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes on overdose rates. Data from the most recent Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) early warning system found that nitazenes were detected in at least […]
European heroin market worth EUR 5bn a year
[…] the continent. Many drugs organisations are concerned that any decrease in heroin availability caused by the situation in Afghanistan could lead to highly potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes filling the gap in the market, with consequent increases in overdose deaths. ‘Compared to North America, the EU has been impacted to a much lesser extent […]
Another increase in suspected Scottish drug deaths
[…] death rate remains by far the highest in Europe. RADAR has also published an alert about the increased availability of a group of high-potency synthetic opioids called nitazenes, which ‘pose a substantial risk of overdose, drug-related hospitalisation and drug-related death’. Nitazenes are a new addition to Scotland’s drug supply, and have been sold as […]
£267m treatment funding to be rolled out next April
Almost £267m of funding to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services will be rolled out to local authorities next April, the government has announced. The money is part of the ten-year strategy to improve the quality of – and access to – treatment, and follows the £95m made available in 2022-23 and £154m […]
DDN September 2024
The ideas flow… things feel possible ‘We already knew what works.’ This statement referred to peers mobilising with urgency around nitazenes – but it came up again and again throughout the DDN Conference. As each individual or team stepped forward we heard the passion, the evidence and the impact of people with lived/living experience […]
DDN November 2023
‘A unified message cuts through the noise’ The campaign to inform people about potentially deadly nitazenes is an essential one (p6). But as well as vital information, we also want to share the efforts to work together across service boundaries to engage with people at risk. This ‘common responsibility’ led to a unified message […]
Synthetic opioids and reducing risk
In this blog post, Turning Point’s Safer Lives Lead, Deb, sheds light on the emergence of a concerning new class of opioids known as “ nitazenes” and the risks they present. We recently shared a joint statement addressing the evolving nature of drugs available in the UK. As an organisation dedicated to supporting individuals facing substance […]
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 […]
More than a million people addicted to alcohol or drugs, estimates Forward
[…] and worsening, it says. Chronic ketamine use is a rapidly growing area of harm, the document highlights, with treatment presentations 12 times higher than a decade ago. Nitazenes, meanwhile, are helping to drive the worsening drug death figures, which hit their highest ever level in 2024. The report calls for reliable funding for treatment […]
NPS still being detected in Europe at a rate of one a week
[…] deaths, with at least 7,600 fatal overdoses in the EU in 2024. Almost 100 new synthetic opioids have been detected since 2009, with China’s blanket ban on nitazenes in July 2025 possibly redirecting the market towards other substances. Nine new orphines have been identified in the last two years, linked to nearly 20 deaths. […]
Suspected Scottish drug deaths up by more than 30 per cent
There were 330 suspected drug deaths in Scotland between December 2025 and February this year, according to the latest Public Health Scotland (PHS) figures – 31 per cent up on the previous quarter, and 16 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. Scottish Ambulance Service naloxone administration incidents, however, were 10 per cent […]
The Loop launches London drug checking service
[…] A report published last month by researchers at King’s College London stated that limitations in postmortem toxicology testing meant that the official number of deaths related to nitazenes in the drug supply had likely been underestimated by ‘up to a third’, while Public Health Scotland also recently warned anyone using street drugs to assume […]
Border Force seizures of ketamine at all-time high
[…] Latin American organised crime’. Last year also saw the Border Force become the first agency in the world to use specially trained dogs to detect fentanyl and nitazenes at border crossings. ‘Every seizure strikes a blow at the heart of organised crime and stops dangerous drugs from inflicting misery on our communities,’ said Home Office minister Mike Tapp. Seizures of […]
Assume street drugs are contaminated with other substances, says Public Health Scotland
[…] benzo. The RADAR report stated that the drug supply across the whole Scotland continues to be ‘highly toxic and unpredictable’. Last year PHS warned that highly potent nitazenes were being detected in Scotland’s drug supply and that drug harms were on the increase across the country, while a report from King’s College London found […]
Clonazolam now Scotland’s most common street benzo
The most common street benzodiazepine in Scotland is now clonazolam, according to Public Health Scotland’s most recent Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report. Detections of a new benzodiazepine, ethylbromazolam, have also continued to increase throughout Scotland, while detections of nitazene-type opioids in drug-related deaths have reached their highest level to date. ‘Contamination […]
Thistle clocks up more than 11,000 visits
[…] country’s death rate remains the highest in Europe, and last year saw a number of warnings from Public Health Scotland and local health boards about highly potent nitazenes being found in the drug supply. When The Thistle opened Scotland’s first minister John Swinney said that while it was not ‘silver bullet’ it was designed […]
‘Dire’ prison conditions undermining rehabilitation, say MPs
[…] reported concerns around access to drugs and ‘increasing numbers of “under the influence” incidents requiring healthcare intervention’, the report adds, with widespread use of spice, heroin, cocaine, nitazenes and ketamine. HM Inspectorate of Prisons has previously stated that drugs were now ‘undermining every aspect of prison life’. The state of disrepair – with ‘dilapidated buildings […]
Prison drug crisis at ‘endemic levels’, commons committee warns
[…] crime gangs. According to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, 16 per cent of more than 830 deaths investigated between December 2022 and December 2024 were drug-related, with nitazenes already linked to deaths in HMP Parc. ‘Concerningly, the chief inspector of prisons said the police and prison service have “ceded the airspace” above two high-security […]
Teenage drinking and drug use down across Europe
[…] mission on drugs,’ said drug and alcohol policy minister Maree Todd. ‘It is particularly important in light of the current dangers posed by new synthetic opioids like nitazenes which raise the risk of overdose and death. Often people who use drugs are not aware of exactly what they contain.’ ESPAD report 2024 at https://www.espad.org/espad-report-2024 […]
Helping to heal
[…] we can’t persuade our MPs to allow us to have them wherever they might be needed. We also need a lot more drug checking because of the nitazenes, which I’m terrified about. And I think it’s going to get an awful lot worse.’ [/vc_column_text] Self-compassion is something that can help everyone to heal, said […]
Global drug use at historically high levels
[…] the fact that 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 […]
Scotland appoints new drugs minister
Maree Todd has been appointed as the Scottish Government’s minister for drugs and alcohol policy, following the death of Christina McKelvie earlier this year. Todd is the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. The Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) said the appointment was to a ‘crucial role’ at a pivotal time. ‘We look forward to working […]
Scottish drug-related hospital stays up by 15 per cent
[…] in ‘sudden overdoses’ that often require multiple doses of naloxone to reverse, with its quarterly RADAR report from earlier in the year warning that the presence of nitazenes and other potent synthetic drugs meant the country’s drug supply remained ‘highly toxic and unpredictable’. ‘It’s very concerning that the number of people going into hospital […]
Duterte flown to The Hague, as lawyers file petition
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been flown to The Hague, following his arrest at Manila airport. Duterte was taken into custody after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity as part of his brutal ‘war on drugs’. Duterte’s lawyers have petitioned that he be returned to Manila, […]
Sowing the seeds
[…] varies from shop to shop, with clients telling us products from some shops leave them with stronger after-effects such as drowsiness and headaches, and the presence of nitazenes in the drug supply is an increasing concern. While we suspect the ground forms of both the poppy seeds and the milky latex are sometimes adulterated […]
County lines ‘becoming more localised’, say police
[…] or being, exploited,’ says the document. ‘This is despite the overall threat from drugs increasing, as cocaine production remains high, pricing consistent with high profit margins, and nitazenes increasing the risk to users. Law enforcement activity has made the enterprise riskier for criminals.’ The county lines market continues to be dominated by on-street or […]
‘Volatile’ global economy linked to patterns of drug use
[…] synthetic opioids. Riskier patterns of use were more likely during an economic downturn, and there were also signs of increased cannabis use Highly potent synthetic opioids, mainly nitazenes, were identified in many recent overdoses – around half of the deaths in Estonia and a third in Latvia. Cocaine was identified in polysubstance use in […]
Strong suit
[…] community-based support 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 […]
A social space
[…] that we use spaces like the Social Justice Conference to find our people and team up to prevent further drug deaths, given the rise in adulterants like nitazenes and xylazine,’ said keynote speaker and Release’s service coordinator, Shayla Schlossenberg. ‘I’m grateful for the chance to speak and look forward to finding accomplices interested in […]
Scottish drug deaths up by more than 120
[…] make treatment and support available more quickly.’ The government would also intensify its efforts to respond to the growing threat from ‘highly dangerous, super-strong synthetic opioids like nitazenes in an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply’, he added. Extra money will be available for residential rehab places The Scottish Government announced this week that […]
DDN Conference 2024: Stronger Together
[…] – @lukeoneil84″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:20|text_align:center|color:%23353535″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lobster%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_zigzag el_border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Read conference reports” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:32|text_align:center|color:%23111156″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Serif%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”Session one” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23111156″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Serif%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20italic%3A700%3Aitalic”][vc_column_text]The first session explored how people could unite to address the ever-increasing risks from nitazenes and other potent synthetic drugs: Deb Hussey and Jude Duncan, Turning Point Shayla Schlossenberg, Release B3 Brent [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read report on session one” style=”3d” color=”warning” size=”lg” […]
DDN April 2024
[…] position we are in to provide appropriate interventions and support. News of more sudden deaths, including clusters in prison, further underlines the emergency we are facing with nitazenes. This is not a remote problem. See the action plan on p10 – we need to understand the risks, act quickly, and coordinate locally to make […]
Drug deaths are everyone’s business
[…] have doubled since 2012, with older age ranges increasingly affected and deaths of women rising. Recent overdose death numbers saw concentrations in certain areas and involvement of nitazenes, which is unusual. OHID’s action plan to reduce drug and alcohol deaths addresses five priority areas – within these there is a focus on improving treatment […]
Most of Northern Ireland’s drug deaths among young people
[…] and improve drug testing of samples submitted by community and voluntary sector organisations. The country’s drug landscape is changing and ‘we are beginning to see evidence of nitazenes in recent drug deaths’, the document states. More resources, including staff, also need to be allocated to outreach work targeting younger people, it adds, along with […]
Scotland expands naloxone provision to community pharmacies
[…] in Europe (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 […]
Over-supervised, Under-dosed
[…] Allie was buying heroin to manage. This was neither what Allie wanted to be doing nor was it financially sustainable. To make matters worse, drug alerts for nitazenes, as well as confirmed reports of xylazine in Allie’s local area, meant her heroin was coming from an increasingly unsafe supply. So, Allie approached her service […]
A proud tradition
[…] community knowledge and support’. Nitazines – harm reduction information: Release, alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. The Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw: The challenges of mainstreaming tobacco harm reduction. Looking to work in harm reduction? See DDN jobs for the latest […]
Drug-related A&E admissions in Scotland up by 13 per cent
The average weekly number of drug-related attendances at Scottish A&E departments between March and May this year increased by 13 per cent compared to the same period last year – to more than 1,080 attendances. However, the average weekly number of drug-related acute admissions was down by 23 per cent between January and March compared to […]
Record cocaine seizures across Europe
[…] EMCDDA to 930. A total of 74 new uncontrolled synthetic opioids have also been identified in Europe since 2009, says the document. While fentanyl derivatives and highly-potent nitazenes play a ‘relatively small role’ in the European drug market compared to the US, there are growing problems in some areas. The report also covers the […]
SDFNaloxoneWEB
The number of drug-related deaths in England and Wales hit more than 5,500 in 2024, the highest total ever recorded, with deaths involving nitazenes quadrupling within the space of a year.
fentanyl pills
The move from plant-based opiates towards synthetics like fentanyls and nitazenes could lead to a ‘permanent shift’ in the market