More than 100 deaths for “super strenght” drugs.
The UK government is behind the curve in tracking the spread of new super-strength drugs, a doctor who has treated patients has said.
More than 100 deaths have now been linked to synthetic opioids called nitazenes since the summer, according to the National Crime Agency.
Dr Mark Pucci says flawed data collection methods mean the numbers are a significant underestimate.
On Wednesday, fifteen synthetic opioids became Class A drugs.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, those caught in their supply and production could face up to life in prison, the Home Office said, while those caught in possession could face up to seven years.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said the government was taking a range of measures to keep nitazenes off the streets.
“Placing these toxic drugs under the strictest controls sends a clear message that the consequences for peddling them will be severe.”
The drugs are stronger than heroin and fentanyl, a prolific killer in the US.
Two people recovering from heroin addictions told the BBC how they nearly died after accidentally taking the new drugs.
Warning: This article contains descriptions of drugs use
The National Crime Agency (NCA) believes nitazenes are produced in illicit labs in China and brought into the UK through the Royal Mail and other parcel operators.
In the UK, they are mostly mixed with heroin by organised gangs.
They have also been found in samples of illegal diazepam tablets, most likely bought online.
- Listen on BBC Sounds: The synthetic opioids claiming lives in the UK – The Briefing Room
Experts say the authorities have not acted fast enough to track non-fatal overdoses involving nitazenes.
They say tracking overdose data can show where the drugs have spread and therefore predict and prevent deaths.
But currently, there is no national system.
Overdose figures are gathered by government from local services and are based on tests of seized drugs or samples from other users believed to have bought from the same batch.
Those records, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, suggest there were four non-fatal nitazene overdoses across the West Midlands in the last six months of 2023.
Consultant in clinical toxicology Dr Mark Pucci, who works in Birmingham and Sandwell, believes those figures under-report the issue.
He observed 13 patients who overdosed and survived between July and October 2023.
They were among 19 people whose blood or urine contained the drugs. None of the patients knew beforehand they had taken them.
Dr Pucci said: “I believe there are very few NHS labs around the country that are set up to test for nitazenes.
“I do believe England is behind the curve on this matter and is now playing catch up. The data collection method they are using in terms of testing drug paraphernalia is only ever going to be the tip of the iceberg.”
Most recent figures put the death toll linked to nitazenes across the UK at 101 people – seventy-six of them in England. At least a further 49 cases await further testing.
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