Updated: Dec. 28, 2023 at 12:54 PM MST
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Dr. Jeremy Dubin, chief medical officer at Front Range Clinic, talks to 9 News CBS in Denver about how nitazenes can be 40 to 500 times more potent than fentanyl and morphine.
The article from Boulder, Colorado, reports on the emergence of a class of synthetic opioids called nitazenes, following a decrease in fentanyl deaths in the area. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office has recorded two nitazene-related deaths. Dr. Jeremy Dubin from Front Range Clinic warns that nitazenes are significantly more potent than fentanyl and morphine, ranging from 40 to 500 times stronger.
Dr. Dubin highlights the risks associated with nitazenes, stating that even regular opioid users might not survive an encounter with this drug. Nitazenes have been found in various substances including heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamines, counterfeit benzodiazepines, sedatives, and ketamine. Interestingly, nitazenes were first synthesized in the 1950s but were never approved by the FDA for medical or veterinary use.
A major challenge with nitazenes is the difficulty in detecting them in blood and urine, and they also do not show up on test strips. This makes it hard for users to know if they are consuming them. Dr. Dubin emphasizes the importance of carrying naloxone, an overdose antidote, but notes that the required dosage for a nitazene overdose is uncertain and may require multiple doses and hospital treatment.
Nitazenes, which can be yellow, brown, gray, or off-white powders, are often sold as heroin or fentanyl and can be smoked, inhaled, used nasally, or vaporized. They have street names like hearse, atco, and “show and tell.” First appearing on the East Coast in 2019, nitazenes have since spread to the Midwest, the South, and now Colorado.
