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PSA: Are you prepared for the dangers of synthetic opioids?

Nitazene is incredibly dangerous in low doses, and has been found with increasing regularity in Australia & New Zealand.

  • Jack Colquhoun
  • 10 July 2024

A recent influx of synthetic opioids into Australia and New Zealand has raised alarm bells among drug and health experts. Now being found in cocaine or MDMA, these synthetic opioids, the most powerful of these being a drug called Nitazene, are incredibly dangerous in incredibly low doses.

Fentanyl, responsible for the “fourth wave” of overdose crises in the US in the last few years, is 100 times stronger than morphine, and 50 times stronger than Heroin. For reference, Nitazene is said to be several times stronger than Fentanyl.

Recently, an investigation by VIC Police found that a synthetic opioid was detected in the post-mortem reports for four people found dead at a home in Melbourne just last month.

With drug testing not readily available across both Australia and New Zealand, the conversation from mainstream media has generally been one of “just don’t do it”. Mixmag ANZ is all too aware of the need to educate rather than discriminate, particularly when it comes to drug use in social and community-focused environments.

Tim Powell is the Program Lead for DanceWize NSW. In their own words, “DanceWize NSW provides peer-based harm reduction at festivals in NSW through the provision of Crowd Care, Education, Roving, Training and Advocacy.” If you’ve been to almost any festival within NSW or VIC recently, it’s likely you’ve seen their tent providing information on which drugs shouldn’t be used together, or seen their many volunteers roaming the crowd with water, sunscreen and lollies.

Tim, speaking on behalf of DanceWize, has provided responses to some of our most burning questions when it comes to preparing for synthetic opioids in our national dance community, as well as providing a series of resources to assist both punters and promoters.

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WHY ARE DRUGS BEING CUT WITH SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS?

TIM POWELL: We’ve been seeing this in the US for a number of years with Fentanyl, but there’s not really a great or very clear answer as to why. Illicit drug markets are by their very nature, very dynamic and prone to disruption, contamination, poor quality control and things of that nature.

So, it’s always going to be hard to get insight into why.

All the variables such as manufacturing import locations and shipping methods, how it moves from bulk supply into the hands of street dealers and people who are using drugs can introduce new risks and variables that could see contamination like this happen.

These particular synthetic opioids are of such a high strength and potency in incredible quantities. So if you get a pill press that’s been contaminated, then you only need a small quantity of opioids to have an impact.

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IS THERE EVEN A MARKET FOR SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS IN AUSTRALIA?

TIM POWELL: It’s hard to say. I don’t know much about the international market, but it definitely is an international market. This, I would say, would be akin to the research chemical market, which is made up of more novel psychoactive substances or synthetic compounds.

There’s always been a sort of niche in the drug market and the people who use drugs, trialing out more -uncommon compounds and substances.

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WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO PREVENT USING DRUGS WITH SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS?

TIM POWELL: The first line of defence is always Naloxone. We really heavily encourage everyone that’s using any type of substances, whether they be opioids or downers or stimulants, to know about Naloxone.

Naloxone is free from NSPs (needle & syringe programs), and a range of pharmacies stock it as well.

As part of getting Naloxone, you receive some training on opioid overdose and how to identify and respond to it. This is a 5-10 minute education on how to administer and when to administer. Very little information is requested, and often it’s on a no questions asked basis, so people don’t have to disclose whether it’s for them, a friend, or the substance it’s for.

Other than key harm reduction decides we recommend going with regular supply. If [your drugs] are from a new supplier or it’s a new substance you haven’t tried before, take things very cautiously.

EDIT: DanceWize NSW advised that proactive testing for Nitazene is currently unreliable for most available drug testing kits, and that access to these kits is difficult.

Signs of an opioid overdose:

  • Pin-point pupils
  • Difficulty speaking or walking⁠
  • Drowsiness⁠
  • Loss of consciousness⁠
  • Slow breathing/snoring⁠
  • Skin turning blue (if light skinned) or grey (if darker skinned)

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Naloxone Availability (Australia):

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Naloxone Availability (NZ):

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WHAT CAN EVENT ORGANISERS DO TO PREPARE FOR THE PRESENCE OF SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS?

TIM POWELL: Other than carrying Naloxone, making other harm reduction resources available is a really good way of encouraging that kind of mindset and attitude in your audience. Making that kind of thinking part of the ethos in your community is a resource in itself.

Everyone exercising good harm reduction practice and being mindful and aware of the risks and aware of how to respond if something goes wrong; if organisers can include this as their ethos then it flows down into the community.

For those community members, practicing being open with each other, letting people know if they’re going to be using something new for the first time, or just generally not being alone or going off on your own, and knowing the signs of opioid overdose as well.

Other go to harm reduction advice:

  • Don’t use alone.
  • Tell your friends what you believe you are taking.
  • If you’re using a new batch, start out with a small dose.
  • Be careful if mixing different drugs.
  • Stay up to date with public drug alerts.

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IS IT JUST MDMA & COCAINE THAT WE SHOULD, AS REPORTED, BE WORRIED ABOUT?

TIM POWELL: It's not it's not just Nitazenes at the moment, but there are also all these other synthetics. Ketamine Analogs and Cathinones are typically the most common other sort of adulterants or mis-sold substances we see at the moment. They don’t have quite the same level of risk and concern that Nytosines do, but they are still causing issues.

Also, for example, the Uncle Frog scare from the other week, those mushroom gummies, is another really clear example of how even though it’s not a “big scary one”, it does have some really serious health harms and outcomes.

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WHAT IS THE LASTING IMPRESSION YOU WANT TO LEAVE ON HOW WE SHOULD VIEW SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS AND OTHER SYNTHETICS?

TIM POWELL: As an organisation, we want to see drug testing in New South Wales. There needs to be more harm reduction moving forward, and that is our position.

The other position we’ve taken, which is quite radical for us, is that we’re telling people not to take Nitazene.

We’ve always taken an agnostic approach to drug use because there’s no point in blaming the substance. People are going to try things. But, this is the one time we're saying “please don’t”. As far as we can tell, there is no safe dosage for Nitazene.

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DanceWize’s advice shared again below:

Signs of an opioid overdose:

  • Pin-point pupils
  • Difficulty speaking or walking⁠
  • Drowsiness⁠
  • Loss of consciousness⁠
  • Slow breathing/snoring⁠
  • Skin turning blue (if light skinned) or grey (if darker skinned)

-

Naloxone Availability (Australia):

-

Naloxone Availability (NZ):

-

Other go to harm reduction advice:

  • Don’t use alone.
  • Tell your friends what you believe you are taking.
  • If you’re using a new batch, start out with a small dose.
  • Be careful if mixing different drugs.
  • Stay up to date with public drug alerts.

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Read more about DanceWize NSW and their efforts via their website here.

Jack Colquhoun is the Managing Editor of Mixmag ANZ, find him on Instagram.

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