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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Melissa Davey Medical editor

Experts warn of influx of synthetic opioids amid calls for second Melbourne injecting room

Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark
‘The bottom line is that people that are using drugs need to be safe,’ former New Zealand prime minister and chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy Helen Clark says. Photograph: Ben Mckay/AAP

Health experts are warning of the looming threat of strong synthetic opioids called nitazenes among Australian drug users, as former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark said there was an urgent need for a second safe-injecting room in Melbourne.

Referring to the long-mooted facility, Clark, who is the chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, said: “The bottom line is that people that are using drugs need to be safe.

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