Unknown drug more dangerous than fentanyl is killing hundreds as warning issued

Warning: This article contains discussion of drugs which some readers may find distressing.

An unknown drug considered more potent than fentanyl is wrecking havoc across Europe, according to a new report.

A high-strength medication belonging to the same family as morphine and codeine, fentanyl is used by some healthcare professionals as a form of pain management.

However abuse of the drug has been on the rise in recent years, leading to opioid crises in countries such as the USA and the UK.

Now experts are warning about a similar drug, which is said to be significantly stronger.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, a highly-potent synthetic opioid known as nitazenes are thought to be five times stronger than fentanyl and are responsible for hundreds of drug deaths across the continent.

What are nitazenes?

Nitazenes are a synthetic opioid stronger than fentanyl (Getty Stock Images)

Previously referred to as 'Frankenstein drugs', nitazenes were originally developed back in the 1950s, finding their way onto the illegal drugs market in the past few years.

The drug comes in numerous forms and is often mixed with other substances - such as heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabinoids - with government statistics revealing that 400 deaths were linked to nitazenes from June 2023 to January 2025.

Overdosing on nitazenes can lead to a person exhibiting symptoms such as shallow breathing, bluish lips and skin tone, loss of consciousness and death. Overdoses are typically treating by a medication known as naloxone, which reverses the most fatal effects of the drug.

It isn't just the UK which is facing the brunt of the crisis either, with nitazenes appearing in street drug mixtures across several US states since 2019 (according to the DEA). Meanwhile kush, a synthetic drug mix often containing nitazenes, is currently ravaging several nations in West Africa.

Prevalence of the drug on UK streets has become so concerning that a spokesperson for Change Grow Live, a UK-based drug charity told WSJ that nitazenes are 'probably the biggest public health crisis for people who use drugs in the UK since the AIDS crisis in the 1980s'.

Government statistics revealed that 400 deaths were linked to nitazenes since June 2023 (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The potent drug is also finding its way into party drugs, benzodiazepines and vapes purchased illegally – meaning that people may be taking it without realising.

According to WSJ statistics, two people in London died after allegedly taking oxycodone which had been laced with the drug, while 23-year-old Alex Harpum died from a cardiac arrest after consuming xanax cut with nitazenes back in 2023.

"It’s an international concern. They have been detected on every continent," Adam Holland, an expert on synthetic opioids at the University of Bristol, added to the outlet.

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