Posted on 08/05/25
| News Source: FOX News
A little-known opioid that’s deadlier than fentanyl has led to a growing number of overdose deaths in recent years.
Nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids, were originally developed as pain relievers in the 1950s, but were never approved for use due to the high overdose risk, according to a report from the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).
Starting in 2019, nitazenes (benzimidazole-opioids) began to enter the illicit drug market in Europe, where they have been reported on almost every continent.
CICAD’s report suggests that "nitazene use is a growing trend in North America and that availability is likely spreading across the Americas."
The most prevalent type of nitazene is isotonitazene (ISO), but at least a dozen others have been identified, the report stated.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies ISO as a Schedule 1 drug, along with seven other nitazenes.
"Nitazenes are being produced in illicit labs overseas, mostly in places like China and India, and are getting trafficked into the U.S. through the same channels used for fentanyl," Corey Gamberg, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and executive director at the Massachusetts Center for Addiction, told Fox News Digital.
Because they’re synthetic and cheap to make, they’ve become a popular option for illegal manufacturers, the expert noted.
"As authorities crack down on fentanyl, traffickers pivot to new synthetic opioids like nitazenes to get around enforcement," Gamberg went on.
"These drugs are cheap to make and easy to move. It's a pattern we’ve seen before, and it’s repeating itself now."
Nitazenes are available in pills, powders, sprays and other forms. They can be snorted, smoked, injected or taken orally.
The biggest risk is potency, as some types of nitazenes are several times stronger than fentanyl.