He fentanyl, already known as a “zombie drug,” has become an epidemic in some countries, such as the United States. They can be seen entire blocks in which people wander the streets with confused steps and lost looks. That is, if they can still stand. Until recently this was considered opioid the most frightening, but it has been supplanted by drugs that are not new, but have reached their current and dangerous peak: nitazenes.
They were first synthesized in 1950sat a Swiss pharmaceutical company called Ciba Pharmaceuticals. It makes sense that they were developed not as a recreational drug, but as a pain reliever. For this purpose it proved to be very powerful; but so much so that it caused very serious side effects. Therefore, it stopped being synthesized and sank into oblivion. At least that’s what we thought.
Recently, it seems that some underground laboratories have discovered the formula used in Switzerland and have begun produce nitazenes in order to sell an opioid that provides a much greater effect than fentanyl. And that’s true, yes. But it’s also much more deadly. For this reason, authorities in the United States and other countries such as EnglandAlready sounded the alarm so that it could become whole health crisis.
Much more powerful than fentanyl.
Fentanyl 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphineTherefore, it is considered one of the most powerful opioids. It is estimated that nitazenes are 100 times more potent than morphine, making them comparable to fentanyl. But in fact there are differences that make them much more dangerous.
For example, a recent study found that while a single dose of fentanyl is usually sufficient to reverse the effects of fentanyl, naloxonesome nitazenes require at least two.
Naloxone is a drug that binds to the same receptors in the brain that opiates and opioids (opiates synthesized in a laboratory) act on. Thus, it prevents its occurrence harmful effects and they can save someone from death with overdose.
This indicates that if this amount of naloxone is required to reverse the effects of nitazenes, it is actually a lot. more dangerous than fentanyl, since it binds to receptors more effectively. And this is not the only data indicating this. One of them is related to labored breathing. While all opioids have the ability to depress the respiratory system in doses similar to those that cause euphoria, in the case of nitazenes this occurs for much longer. An example is N-desethyl isotonitazenewith which they can take 208 minutes in restoring normal breathing compared to 67 minutes of fentanyl.
What makes you stronger can also kill you
We must not forget that, like other opioids, nitazenes are intended for pain relief. As explained in a recent article TalkIn rat studies, N-desethyl isotonitazene was shown to relieve pain at a dose almost 10 times less than that required for fentanyl, and approximately 1400 times less than morphine.
This is apparently good. Yes, it is better for pain management. But all opioids work the same way. In low dose relieve pain. However, at slightly higher levels they cause euphoria and drowsiness, followed by dangerous symptoms such as respiratory depression and even death. If a small dose is needed to relieve pain, the amount needed will also be very small. may prove fatal.
Nitazenes hidden in other drugs
Another big problem, as with fentanyl, is that nitazenes are often used to adulterate other drugs. This has been seen, for example, with cocaine, benzodiazepines or synthetic cannabinoids.
Consequently, many people may be consuming these drugs mixed with a much more powerful and potentially deadlier substance. This has already become a problem that threatens to become even bigger than the fentanyl problem. Actually, United Nations In 2021, they have already warned that this group of psychoactive drugs is growing the most.
In 2020 19 new synthetic opioids compared to 17 stimulants and 13 synthetic cannabinoids. Of these new opioids, 5 were nitazenes, so the situation was already alarming. But now it’s worse. Action must be taken on this issue as soon as possible. Otherwise, the fentanyl crisis will seem insignificant compared to what may happen in the future.
Source: Hiper Textual
