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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Henry Belot

Detection of highly potent opioid in MDMA prompts emergency warnings and renewed calls for pill testing

Ecstasy pills or tablets in a mans hand
MDMA, or ecstasy pills. Three people in Sydney were hospitalised on the weekend after ingesting pills found to contain traces of nitazenes and no MDMA. Photograph: Westmacott/Alamy

A highly potent opioid, more dangerous than fentanyl and heroin, is being mixed into the popular party drug MDMA, prompting emergency warnings and renewed calls for pill testing.

Three people were taken to Sydney hospitals on the weekend after taking a form of nitazenes, which are strong synthetic opioids that can cause severe overdose or death.

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