Synthetic opioids may have caused hundreds more UK deaths than thought

In 2024, the NCA reported that 333 fatalities across the UK were linked to nitazenes, but researchers say the true number could be much higher. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images

Deaths caused by a synthetic opioid that is hundreds of times stronger than heroin may have been underestimated by up to a third across the UK, according to research.

Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids that are extremely potent, and up to 500 times stronger than heroin. They were manufactured originally as a painkiller in the 1950s but their development was halted due to their extreme potencies resulting in a high risk of addiction.