The drug has begun infiltrating UK drug gangs (Picture: DEA)
A ‘tsunami’ of deaths could hit the UK as a dangerous new synthetic opioid is being cut into drugs, it has been revealed.
Drug charity workers have already seen people coughing up blood and dying as nitazenes – often referred to as ‘Frankenstein’ drugs – enter the UK.
More than 50 times stronger than heroin, nitazenes are man-made drugs that mimic the effects of opioids and can be mixed with other drugs to create horrifying effects.
Along with heroin, they are also being detected in anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and have already been linked to the deaths of 49 people in the UK.
Teen Challenge London is a charity rehabilitation centre that receives multiple applications a day for opioid abuse, and is aware that the fatal drug is already hitting the streets in east London.
Javier Lesta-Candal is a project manager at Teen Challenge and told Metro.co.uk he fears there could be a lasting impact for years to come because of the drug.
The drugs are 50 times more powerful than fentanyl (Picture: DEA)
They’re often mixed with other drugs, creating a horrifying concoction
Mr Lesta-Candal said: ‘I’m more concerned more for the families of the people that are going to be taking it because if it’s as strong as they say it is, I think we’re going to have an epidemic.
‘I’m aware of it being in the Whitechapel area, and other areas as well. But it will start to filter out very quickly.
‘If it’s as powerful as they say, it’s going to be a real problem.’
Where to get help for drug addiction
If you or a loved one are battling addiction, there are resources available to help.
The NHS recommends first speaking to your GP – they can discuss your problems with you and get you into treatment.
They may offer you treatment at the practice or refer you to your local drug service.
If you’re not comfortable talking to a GP, you can approach your local drug treatment service yourself.
Visit the Frank website to find support near you.
If you’re having trouble finding the right sort of help, call the Frank drugs helpline on 0300 123 6600. They can talk you through all your options.
Synthetic opioids are often mixed with already strong drugs such as heroin, and when put together, it often results in death.
Last month in Dublin, more than 40 overdoses were reported after nitazenes were mixed into the local drug supply.
In October, a raid into a Waltham Forest drug factory recovered an astounding 150,000 nitazene tablets, resulting in the arrest of 11 people.
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Opioids include side effects such as cognitive deterioration and confusion, gastrointestinal upset and constipation, insomnia, blurred vision, difficulty urinating, and erectile dysfunction.
And if you stop taking them after long-term there is an extremely unpleasant post-withdrawal syndrome.
But worst of all, opioids also depress respiratory drive – in other words, they affect your ability to breathe – which can cause death.
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A ‘tsunami’ of deaths could hit the UK as a dangerous new synthetic opioid is being cut into drugs.