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Two people in their twenties have died in London after allegedly consuming a super-strong opioid drug, the first that experts have linked in the UK to the new substance.
Warned that they can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin, nitazenes are a newer form of synthetic opioid and can be mis-sold as drugs including oxycodone, which is a highly addictive prescription drug used to treat pain.
A 20-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man are understood to have taken the drug after visiting a club in south London over the May bank holiday weekend.
The blue tablets, which are marked with the number 80, could potentially be mistaken for “oxys”, which can help users fall asleep.
In a statement on their social media page, the nightclub Ministry of Sound in Elephant and Castle said: “We have been informed of a dangerous batch of blue-green pills marked with ‘80’ are being sold across London.
“These pills have been linked to hospitalisations and tragically two confirmed fatalities.
“Reports indicate they contain synthetic opioids, along with traces of ketamine and MDMA. They are being mis-sold as Ecstasy or Oxycodone, and investigations are ongoing.”
They encouraged anyone who was feeling unwell while at the venue to seek medical help immediately from their on-site team.
The Cause, in east London, and Fabric, in Farringdon, also posted similar messages warning people of the risks of consuming the drug.
It has prompted fears ahead of festival season, with increased calls for front-of-house drug testing.
Speaking to The Times, Professor Fiona Measham, the founder of drug checking charity The Loop, said: “Up to now, there have been about two nitazene-related deaths per week in the UK, predominantly linked to contamination of opiate and street benzodiazepine markets,.
“This appears to be a leap from dependent to recreational drug using communities with the deaths of two clubbers but we don’t yet know the purchase intent. If we did, we could target the appropriate groups looking to buy, for example, oxycodone or ecstasy pills.”
The Home Office said: “Every death from drugs is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the two individuals who have sadly lost their lives.
“We are determined to take steps to prevent drug-related deaths and we support the testing of drugs seized by the police or deposited in amnesty bins, but we cannot endorse testing for recreational users because there is no safe way to take illegal drugs.
“We are doing everything we can to tackle the evolving threat from synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, including working closely with the police to increase the number of officers carrying the opioid overdose antidote naloxone.”
The Metropolitan Police said: “We are currently investigating the death of two people at a residential address in Havelock Road, Southall.
“Met officers were called on Monday, 26 May at 16:00hrs following reports that a 20-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man had been found unresponsive.
“Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service attended the scene where both people were sadly pronounced dead. The deaths are being treated as unexpected and an investigation remains ongoing.
“Post-mortem examinations have been carried out and we await the results of toxicology findings.
“Next of kin for both the man and the woman have been informed, they are currently being supported by specialist officers.”
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