Why might deaths from synthetic opioids be underestimated?

Deaths from synthetic opioids like nitazenes are likely underestimated because these drugs degrade in post-mortem blood samples, making them difficult to detect in toxicology tests.

What are nitazenes and why are they a concern?

Nitazenes are extremely potent synthetic opioids, originally developed as painkillers but halted due to high addiction risk. Their presence on the unregulated drug market has risen steeply, prompting public health warnings.

What is being done to address the synthetic opioid crisis in the UK?

The UK government is investing £310 million in drug treatment services and is rolling out naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, to additional police forces.

Home / Health / Hidden Opioid Deaths: A Third Missed?

Hidden Opioid Deaths: A Third Missed?

9 Feb

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Summary

Synthetic opioids like nitazenes may be undercounted by up to a third.
Nitazenes degrade in post-mortem blood, evading detection in tests.
Underestimated deaths hinder effective public health interventions.

Researchers suggest that deaths attributed to nitazenes, synthetic opioids 500 times stronger than heroin, may be underestimated by as much as a third. These potent and cheaply manufactured drugs, originally developed in the 1950s but halted due to addiction risk, have seen a sharp increase in illicit use over the past seven years. Concerns about nitazene degradation in post-mortem blood samples indicate they are likely being missed in toxicology reports. Studies show that, on average, only 14 percent of nitazene present at overdose remains detectable under typical sample handling conditions.

This undercounting has significant public health implications, as interventions are designed and funded based on incomplete data. King's College London researchers applied modelling to UK data, revealing a one-third excess of drug deaths in Birmingham in 2023. They propose that the non-detection of degraded nitazene could explain some of these excess fatalities. The government is investing £310 million in drug treatment services and rolling out naloxone to police forces to combat the synthetic opioid problem.