Portrush, Northern Ireland – A coroner has reported that super-strength street drugs, described as “500 times stronger than morphine,” have been linked to multiple deaths across Northern Ireland for the first time. The deaths of six individuals, with an average age of 28, have been attributed to these drugs, and there is a possibility that the death toll may rise as further testing is carried out.
The findings come from Coroner Joe McCrisken, who has stated that the drug is a severe threat to public health and has been circulating in Northern Ireland since April 2022. The local drug addiction services have echoed the coroner’s concerns, emphasizing the urgent need for more rapid intervention and testing to address what they fear could be a growing synthetic drugs problem spiraling out of control.
The drugs in question are a category of new synthetic opioids known as Nitazenes, which were originally developed in the 1950s as a pain-killing medication. However, due to their potency and addictive nature, they have never been approved for medical or therapeutic use. In recent years, Nitazenes have been linked to thousands of deaths in the United States and have been clandestinely mixed into heroin, cocaine, and street pills, further exacerbating the danger they pose.
The Public Health Agency (PHA) in Northern Ireland has highlighted the varying levels of potency in Nitazenes, emphasizing their damaging effects on the body. Most fatal overdoses involving these drugs have been due to the use of more than one type of drug, underscoring the unpredictable and harmful nature of mixing different substances.
Charity organizations in Northern Ireland, such as ASCERT, have emphasized the urgency of developing a strategy to address the risks posed by Nitazenes and to prevent further tragedies. The Chief Executive has emphasized the importance of acting swiftly to stem the potential harm, overdose, and death caused by these potent drugs.
The emergence of Nitazenes in Northern Ireland underscores the need for greater funding for mental health and substance abuse strategies, as well as rapid testing and intervention to safeguard vulnerable individuals from the dangers posed by these synthetic opioids. If you have been affected by addiction, help and support are available through various channels, including the BBC Action Line and the 24-hour helpline, Lifeline, for those living in Northern Ireland.