Nitazenes: the powerful synthetic opioids adding 'severe concern' to Wales’ drugs crisis

• ITV Wales' Megan Boot reports on this investigation.

There are already record levels of drug related deaths in Wales and England and now health officials here are "severely concerned" about a group of drugs emerging on the illegal market - nitazenes.

Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that can be 500 times stronger than morphine. They can be injected, inhaled or swallowed, in tablet form.

Their incredible strength makes them extremely dangerous - and health officials are also seeing evidence of them being mixed in with other drugs.

According to the National Crime Agency they have been linked to eight deaths in Wales, since June 2023.

In Cardiff, we met one man who said his friends have died from nitazene overdoses. He said the “fatality risk is huge and it’s having a real impact on people’s lives in the city”.

Another man explained how, just hours earlier, he saved someone’s life from a nitazene overdose: “It didn't seem right - it clogged up straight away in the syringe, but the thing is I didn't take it - I’d seen someone else take it and he was glad I was there anyway - I carried naloxone.”

Naloxone is a drug which temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.  In Wales there is a peer to peer project where those who have experience of drug issues distribute and administer naloxone, whilst all of the four police forces have officers who carry it.

The Welsh Government has been involved in funding the scheme, describing it as "life saving intervention".

In Cardiff, the WEDINOS lab receives anonymous drug samples, which they then test to ascertain what they actually are.

In the last 12 - 18 months they said they’ve seen a "concerning" rise in samples containing nitazenes.

Professor Rick Lines, head of substance misuse at Public Health Wales, said: “Because they are so high potency, there’s a very significant risk of accidental overdose as a result of using the substance.

"There’s obviously a very, very, I guess, severe concern by drug services, harm reduction services, people who consume drugs across the country [UK] around the encroachment of these synthetic opioids into the market”.

Their analysis has found nitazenes in counterfeit benzodiazepines and in the heroin market; suggesting some are taking nitazenes without even realising it. 

Just yesterday, the UK Government added 14 nitazenes to the list of Class A drugs, meaning anyone involved in the production or supply of these drugs could face life in prison.

“Placing these toxic drugs under the strictest controls sends a clear message that the consequences for peddling them will be severe”, said James Cleverly MP, Home Secretary

Another option that some believe could help reduce the risk of death and overdose from nitazenes, is the introduction of consumption rooms. 

Consumption rooms are places where illicit drugs can be taken under the supervision of trained staff in a sterile environment.

Elwyn Thomas is a Kaleidoscope co-production lead and said it seems "absurd" to him that Wales doesn’t provide a clinical setting where someone can inject, seeing it as an opportunity to help care for people and reduce drug related litter on our streets.

“If someone does go into respiratory depression it can be dealt with, you can make sure somebody has clean needles - you can make sure they’re bringing back clean needles - it’s a win, win, win situation”, said Mr Thomas.

Scotland is in the process of setting up a drug consumption facility.

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn told ITV Wales News that he will be the watching the outcomes closely.

He said, “The evidence does show that where you have drug consumption rooms that does dramatically reduce the number of deaths within the community, a lot of that is to do with the engagement you would then have with health professionals in those facilities and that’s why I think it shouldn’t be discounted here in Wales."

The Welsh Government said it’s a matter for the UK Government as legislation on the misuse of drugs is not devolved. But, they work to reduce harm by supporting naloxone programmes, and the WEDINOS lab which gives real-time data on emerging substances, such as nitazenes.

But there is no sign the UK Government is in favour of consumption rooms. The Home Office have said they do not support the introduction of them because of “significant concerns they risk encouraging drug use”.  

For the moment, it seems the approach will continue to be a focus on tackling those that supply drugs, and support for the recovery of those who suffer from drug dependence. 

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