1950s-era opioids resurfacing on streets as lethal drug, report says
Nitazenes were developed decades ago but were never approved for clinical use.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A report from Vanderbilt University Medical Center is spotlighting an alarming new element being found in street-level drugs.
The report states that Nitazenes, highly potent synthetic opioids developed in the 1950s, have been emerging in overdose cases around the country.
These drugs were created as a potential pain reliever, but were never approved for clinical use, according to the report, and are more than 20 times more potent than fentanyl.
“For patients, especially those with opioid use disorder or those exposed to illicit substances, nitazenes pose a serious and often hidden threat,” said the report’s co-author, Shravani Durbhakula, MD, and associate professor of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Nitazenes can come in liquid, pill, or powder form and have been popping up on the illicit drug market since 2019, according to the report.
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The Tennessee State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (TN SUDORS) identified 92 nitazene-involved fatal drug overdoses in the state from 2019 to 2023.
The drugs are not only a problem with recreational drug users or addicts, but are also being found in other pills meant for clinical use.
“Many people consuming nitazenes don’t even know they’re taking them,” Durbhakula said. “These substances are often adulterants in pills sold as other opioids, making public education more important than ever. This is not just a drug issue; it is a public health emergency.”
The authors of the report recommend expanding access to new test strips that can detect nitazenes, as well as increasing the availability of naloxone, which is somewhat successful in countering an overdose.
More human clinical data is required to better understand nitazenes’ effects, especially long-term health impacts and response to treatments like naloxone, the report states.
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