- Nitazenes, potent synthetic opioids primarily originating from China, are causing hundreds of deaths across Europe and are spreading globally.
- These opioids are significantly stronger than fentanyl and heroin, with even trace amounts capable of causing a fatal overdose.
- Nitazenes are being found mixed into various illicit drugs, including heroin, counterfeit painkillers, and anxiety medication, making them difficult to identify.
- US authorities have reported over 4,300 nitazene seizures since 2019, with concerns that Mexican cartels could facilitate their entry into the US.
- Experts warn that nitazenes pose a potential "massive public healthcare catastrophe" and could become the "biggest public health crisis" for drug users since the 1980s AIDS crisis.
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