Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that can be 500 times stronger than morphine. They can be injected, inhaled or swallowed, in tablet form.
There are already record levels of drug related deaths in Wales and England and now health officials here are "severely concerned" about a new class of drugs emerging on the illegal market - nitazenes.
In the last 12 - 18 months they said they’ve seen a "concerning" rise in samples containing nitazenes.Professor Rick Lines, head of substance misuse at Public Health Wales, said: “Because they are so high potency, there’s a very significant risk of accidental overdose as a result of using the substance.
Just yesterday, the UK Government added 14 nitazenes to the list of Class A drugs, meaning anyone involved in the production or supply of these drugs could face life in prison. Consumption rooms are places where illicit drugs can be taken under the supervision of trained staff in a sterile environment.
He said, “The evidence does show that where you have drug consumption rooms that does dramatically reduce the number of deaths within the community, a lot of that is to do with the engagement you would then have with health professionals in those facilities and that’s why I think it shouldn’t be discounted here in Wales."
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