Fatal opioid pollution discovered in Adelaide Street Supply

Synthetic opioid 1000 times stronger than Morphine infiltrates the drug trafficking of street drugs in Adelaide, Australia, causing concerns about the wave of overdose, which may be fatal.

In the first study of this kind in South Australia, scientists from the University of South Australia detected nitazen traces in samples of rejected injection equipment, plastic bags, vials and filters from public containers for removal in local programs programs needle and syringes.

Their findings are published today in.

Using a highly sensitive chemical analysis, scientists identified Nitazens in 5% of 300 samples, mainly in combination with heroin and mainly in syringes.

Nitazenes led to 32 overdose deaths in Australia in 2020–2024, with 84% of patients do not realize that the synthetic opioid was present in the consumed drug. He is more and more hidden in illegal drugs, such as fentanyl and heroin, creating an extreme risk of overdose, often with deadly consequences.

“Nitazenes belong to the strongest synthetic opioids in circulation today, some stronger than Fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin,” according to the main researcher Professor Unis Cobus Gerber.

“These substances can be fatal in small amounts and are often mixed with other drugs, which makes them extremely difficult to detect and monitor with traditional means,” he says.

Several different nitazenas were identified, some of them in combination with the unprofitable veterinary xyllasin, which is not approved for use by people.

This is particularly disturbing, because xylazine was associated with severe side effects, including necrotic skin changes, prolonged sedation and depression.

Finding xylazine next to Nitazenes in the same samples is a disturbing sign, because it reflects what we see abroad, especially in the United States, where these combinations of drugs contribute to the wave of overdose deaths and complex clinical presentations. “

Cobus Gerber, extraordinary professor, Unisa

Less than one in five emergency cases related to Nitazene in Australia concerned people who consciously took the drug, and most people mistakenly believe that they consume heroin, methamphetamine or other known substances.

“Accidental exhibition is a key risk,” says the co-author of the researcher Unis, Dr. Emma Keller.

“When drugs are contaminated with nitazenes, the margin of errors narrows dramatically. Standard doses can become fatal, especially for people who do not know what their product contains or does not wear nalloxon, a medicine that can quickly reverse the effects of opioid overdose.”

Detection of these substances in South Australia appears among growing calls for extended drug checking services, including the use of drug strips specific to nitazen and notifications of public health.

The cooperating professor Gerber claims that the chemical tests of drug -related accessories is a non -invasive, effective way to identify emerging threats in drug delivery.

“Such data can cause quick notifications for health agencies, treatment services and peer networks, enabling people using drugs in making more aware choices.”

Sewage analysis is also used to detect illegal drugs in the community, but due to the sporadic nature of drug use, other approaches to monitoring, such as chemical tests, are needed.

Drug and alcohol services South Australia, which is a co -author of the study, shared the arrangements with the community advisory groups, healthcare providers and early warning networks.