science
Canada's Fentanyl Czar Warns of Rise in Nitazenes and Other Synthetic Opioids
Canada’s commissioner in the fight against fentanyl said newer synthetic opioids such as nitazenes are appearing in the drug supply on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. Kevin Brosseau told USA TODAY that bilateral cooperation has reduced fatal fentanyl overdoses by 20 percent in recent years but that traffickers have adapted by producing more potent compounds.
May 14, 5:06 AM·3m read1 source
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Canada’s commissioner in the fight against fentanyl warned that newer synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl are appearing with increasing frequency in the drug supply on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. Kevin Brosseau, whose official title is Commissioner in Canada’s Fight Against Fentanyl, said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY that nitazenes and similar compounds have prompted the Canadian government to expand cooperation with international partners.
The effort focuses on raising awareness, eliminating precursor chemicals and targeting transnational organized crime groups involved in their production. Brosseau, who also serves as Canada’s senior associate deputy minister of national defense, said U.S. counternarcotics officials have praised Canada’s efforts to curb fentanyl flows.
He stated there is virtually no significant amount of the drugs crossing the northern border into the United States. Canada-U.S. cooperation has helped both countries lower fatal fentanyl overdoses by 20 percent in recent years, Brosseau said. Traffickers responded by manufacturing other synthetic opioids that are often mixed into fentanyl and other drugs to increase potency.
Nitazene, a class of synthetic opioids developed in the 1950s but never approved for medical use in the United States, can be 10 to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl, which itself is roughly 50 times stronger than heroin. Because the substances are produced in laboratories rather than derived from cultivated plants, they can be manufactured in large volumes at low cost and away from traditional law enforcement detection.
