Street drugs stronger than heroin linked to 54 deaths in UK

Super-strength street drugs more powerful than heroin have been linked to at least 54 deaths in the UK in the last six months, the BBC has been told.

The deaths are all linked to synthetic opioids called nitazenes, which experts fear are being manufactured in labs and then imported into the UK from China.

However, the true total could be higher – the National Crime Agency (NCA) said 40 more cases awaited further testing.

The UK government plans to classify 15 new synthetic opioids as Class A drugs.

Nitazenes first made news in the UK in 2021, when an 18-year-old patient was treated for a non-fatal overdose.

Experts say the new drugs can be stronger than both heroin and fentanyl, another synthetic opioid, which is a leading killer in the US – contributing to 75,000 deaths last year.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of drugs use

Following a sudden spike in UK deaths this summer, the government put out a warning across the NHS and drug services – the second National Patient Safety Alert in three years.

In Birmingham, where 16 deaths occurred in two months this summer, the city’s director of public health said use of the drug could be a “turning moment in the drug market”.

Dr Justin Varney warned nitazenes could cause “a global drug problem”.

BBC News has spoken to a user of nitazenes, who, despite being a long-term heroin addict, says she was shocked by the strength of the new drugs.

Amy first took heroin at the age of 16 and has dealt with addiction for 20 years. She compared the first time she took nitazenes to her first hit of heroin. “It was like a blanket – that’s why it’s been so addictive,” she added.

She said dealers were incorrectly referring to heroin laced with nitazenes as “fentanyl” and selling it for £10 a bag in Birmingham. Some charged £20 for three bags.

“It looked a bit different, like a brown wet powder, like grains of a dark mud,” Amy said. “With heroin – if you get a strong batch – you get a warm pins and needles at the back of your head but with this – they call it ‘gouching’ – you’re just out of it for at least an hour. I don’t get that with heroin.”

She said she has felt in danger when taking it. “I wasn’t expecting it [the strength]. I’ve lost four or five people over the past few months. I’ve got to stop it.”