The Australian Federal Police warn over detections of nitazene in fake pharmaceuticals (Australian Government Department of Home Affairs/CC BY 3.0 AU).
Reports of synthetic opioids contaminating Australia's drug supply highlight the concerning pace at which they are entering the country. The Australian Federal Police recently raised concerns after detecting nitazenes in counterfeit pharmaceutical products seized at Australian borders.
Nitazenes are synthetic opioids similar to fentanyl, with some compounds up to 50 times more potent. They act rapidly (within 2 minutes), leaving less time to respond to overdoses compared to drugs like heroin.
To better understand the emerging threat of nitazenes and other new synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl analogues), a new study published today in the Drug and Alcohol Review explores what we currently know about these substances and their related harms in Australia.
The study, entitled 'A scoping review of the emergence of novel synthetic opioids in Australian drug markets: what does this mean for harm reduction responses?' outlines several key findings:
Detections across the country: new synthetic opioids were reported in every jurisdiction in Australia except for Tasmania, at the time of writing.
Mortality: there have been 22 confirmed deaths in Australia attributed to fentanyl analogues since 2013 and at least 22 confirmed nitazene-related deaths just in Victoria since 2021.
Monitoring capacity: Australia has capacity to monitor harms caused by new synthetic opioids but more needs to be done to detect these substances before people use them. The rapid evolution of nitazene variants makes it difficult for health and other surveillance systems to keep up.
Supply: availability and harms related to these substances are rapidly changing. There is limited understanding of whether people are knowingly seeking these substances.
