New drug '10 times stronger than fentanyl' kills man in first US case
A terrifying new drug, deemed '10 times more deadly than fentanyl,' is at the root of a fatal overdose.
An individual in Boulder, Colorado, has tragically died due to an overdose from this lethal substance, the first of its kind in the US.
Dubbed N-Desethyl etonitazene, this synthetic nitazene opioid was detected during an autopsy conducted by Boulder County Coroner's Office. Scientists originally made nitazenes 60 years ago as a type of morphine, but these drugs, mainly coming from China, pose a frightening danger today.
Cmdr. Nicholas Goldberger of the Boulder County Drug Task Force said: "There are so many different constructional components to different nitazenes out there."
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A deadly drug has been traced back to the U.S. during an autopsy earlier this year (Getty Images)"We're actively looking at two cases which reference nitazenes and of course our primary look appears to be that the substances are coming from the dark web for these or at least one of the cases."
According to Cmdr. Goldberger, the tragic N-Desethyl etonitazene overdose took place in Boulder in mid-2023, however, it takes time for autopsies to confirm death causes.
Sgt. Patrick Compton of the same drug force, added that the victim is suspected to have overdosed after purchasing quaaludes from 'the dark web.'
The tablets, a type of hypnotic sedative often used for fun, became popular in the 80s. However, the young woman unknowingly took pills contaminated with nitazenes.
These opioids, which are becoming increasingly deadly, are mainly coming from China, says the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Goldberger compared the distribution of nitazenes to a precise surgical operation, unlike the spread of fentanyl, which he likened to a "spider web of hubs going throughout the United States," as reported by the Denver Post.
"There are plenty of people who are using drugs, pick a drug it doesn't matter, if they live through it, law enforcement doesn't know anything about it," Goldberger said.
"Maybe that one drug, again, pick any drug, has been in the area for months or weeks or days but we won't know about it because it's an incident where law enforcement or medical has not been called in to assist or they don't have an investigation for that chemical, for that drug."
"This is all very new in the States," Compton said referring to the new drug. "I do think that there's a lot that, that forensic pathologists, doctors, that medical centre, there's so much to learn still, I think everyone's just behind the curve on this and maybe at some point something will come to light on that."
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