Forbes April 22, 2024
Synthetic opioids that can be hundreds of times more powerful than morphine are being advertised illicitly through U.K. social media, an investigation has found.
BBC reporters found posts advertising the deadly drugs — known as nitazenes— on social media platforms including SoundCloud and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Suppliers based in China, where the drugs are often manufactured, appeared to be targeting drug dealers, who may mix the potent substances with other drugs, the investigation revealed.
One expert — Charles Yates of the U.K.’s National Crime Agency — suggested dealers cut nitazenes with regular drugs simply because they are cheap.
What are nitazenes?
Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioid made in a laboratory. They are similar to opiates like...
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