Get you up to speed: Lethal Nitazene Drug Discovered on Teen-Favoured App | News UK
New research from King’s College London indicates that fatalities linked to nitazenes may be significantly underreported amid rising concerns over their availability on the Telegram app.
Dr Caroline Copeland from King’s College London emphasised that incomplete data may exacerbate the issue of preventable deaths linked to nitazenes in Britain.
Researchers at King’s College London have warned the death toll from nitazenes may be significantly underestimated, highlighting concerns over toxicology testing methods.
What we know so far
Thousands in Britain are buying a potent synthetic opioid known as nitazene through the Telegram app, raising alarms over its dangerous availability. The substance, deemed 100 times stronger than heroin, has been linked to increasing fatalities, with 333 deaths reported in 2024 by the National Crime Agency.
Research from King’s College London suggests that this figure may underestimate the true number of deaths, as toxicologists have expressed concerns about the stability of nitazenes in postmortem blood samples. The substance, originally sourced from US dealers boasting large followings, can be arranged for delivery by parcel through networks on the application.
Dealers frequently advertise the drug as pills resembling ecstasy and promote sales within dedicated chat groups. A source highlighted the alarming reality of accidental overdoses, as nitazenes may be mixed with other drugs, contributing to the rising death toll. Experts have warned that the low-cost manufacture of these opioids complicates the crisis.
Dr Caroline Copeland from King’s College London stated, “We’re trying to tackle a crisis using incomplete data. When we don’t measure a problem properly, we don’t design the right interventions.” Telegram has reaffirmed its commitment to combat drug sales on its platform, confirming that such activities violate their terms of service and are actively monitored.
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Deadly nitazene drug being sold on app popular with teenagers | News UK
Thousands of people are using an app popular with teens to buy a killer drug more dangerous than heroin which is responsible for rising deaths in Britain.
Nitazenes – a synthetic opioid – is being advertised, sold and arranged for delivery on the encrypted app Telegram.
Brits can buy it from dealers with thousands of followers and arrange for it to be delivered by parcel from America.
The drug – said to be 100 times stronger than heroin – was reported to be responsible for 333 deaths in 2024. But new research by King’s College London says the number could have been under reported by a third.
Our investigation has found it being for sale on Telegram in chats with have thousands of people following them.
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Photos show it being delivered through courier services hidden in other packaging.
They are being sold via the app as pills which look like ecstasy. The group names all contain Nitazenes as its name.
The majority of dealers appear to be based in the US but are advertising it for sale and collection anywhere.
Other chats are called ‘Main supply’.
On the app, dealers send photos of delivery notifications when they have gone out to people who have bought them.
Photos of the drug are also posted.
Subscribers to the chat are warned “stock is very limited”. Other chats are promoted called ‘Synthesize chemical”.
Another message said: “Shipping from China, worldwide, with tracking.”
Records show some people are taking them by accident, as they are mixed in with other drugs as cheap substitutes.
One source said: “It is shocking it is so freely available on an app like Telegram.
“That is so dangerous. Nobody really knows what they are taking with this stuff. It’s a very disturbing situation.”
Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids which can have potencies of up to 500 times that of heroin.
Experts have warned they can be readily manufactured at low cost.
While the National Crime Agency (NCA) reported 333 fatalities linked to nitazenes in 2024, researchers believe that the number of deaths has been underreported as concerns have been raised by toxicologists regarding their stability in postmortem blood samples.
This means they are likely being missed by postmortem toxicology tests.
Risks associated with taking nitazenes
Suppression of breathing and respiratory arrest
Loss of consciousness and coma
Dizziness or fainting
Withdrawal symptoms, including nausea and retching
Itching
Lethargy
Constipation
Information provided by FRANK
Dr Caroline Copeland, senior lecturer in pharmacology & toxicology at King’s College London, said: ‘If nitazenes are degrading in post-mortem blood samples, then we are almost certainly undercounting the true number of deaths that they are causing.
‘That means we’re trying to tackle a crisis using incomplete data. When we don’t measure a problem properly, we don’t design the right interventions – and the inevitable consequence is that preventable deaths will continue.’
A spokesperson for Telegram said in a statement: ‘The sale of drugs is explicitly forbidden by Telegram’s terms of service and such content is removed whenever discovered.
‘Moderators empowered with custom AI tools proactively monitor public parts of the platform and accept reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content, including the sale of drugs.
‘Further, Telegram is the only platform that allows users to report not only individual posts or groups but terms that may be used to identify harmful content.
‘This unique community-driven effort lets users identify terms in any language, including slang terms, so they can be investigated and blocked in Telegram’s search feature.’