Drug Alert: 'Heroin' found to contain a potent opioid ('nitazene’)
NSW Health reports that there have been increased hospitalisations and ICU admissions from people using 'heroin' across the Central Coast region.Testing of the 'heroin' found it contained a potent opioid ('nitazene’).
🤔 What are the risks
Nitazenes are a synthetic opioid and can be as strong, or stronger than fentanyl and cause slow breathing.
The combination of heroin with other strong opioids is more likely to cause overdose.
Naloxone can temporarily reverse an overdose from heroin and nitazenes (and other opioids).
Use naloxone if you have it, but do not delay calling Triple Zero.
You are at increased risk of overdose if you:
- use drugs when you are alone. Or are using again after a break.
- mix different drugs. Depressant drugs such as opioids, alcohol, benzos, ketamine or GHB are very dangerous to combine.
- Fentanyl test strips are unable to detect nitazene opioids.
🤔 What to look for
Any signs of overdose:
- Difficulty speaking or walking
- Drowsiness
- Loss of consciousness
- Slow breathing/snoring
- Skin turning blue (if light skinned) or grey (if dark skinned)
- Any unexpected symptoms
🤔 How to get help
If you see the warning signs of unexpected drug reactions or overdose:
- Seek help from your nearest emergency department.
- Call Triple Zero (000).
- Use naloxone (nasal spray or syringe). Call 000 even if using naloxone.
- Start CPR if someone is not breathing.
- If they are breathing, put them in the recovery position (on their side).
🤔 How to protect yourself
Carry naloxone. It can temporarily reverse an overdose from opioids but is not effective for benzos. Naloxone will not make a benzo overdose worse.
You can get Naloxone as a nasal spray (nyxoid) or as an injectable (prenoxad). Both are very easy to use. Prenoxad contains more doses of naloxone. We are currently encouraging people to get Prenoxad because sometimes to reverse an opioid overdose you need multiple doses. Also there is currently more prenoxad available in NSW than Nyxoid.
NUAA can mail you naloxone for free in a discreet package. Order via shop.nuaa.org.au or call (02) 8354 7343.
🤔 How to connect to community - we're safer using together
Stay up to date with drug alerts and peer-led harm reduction information by following NUAA & DanceWize NSW on social media.
If you want non-judgmental support from an experienced member of the drug-using community contact NUAA & DanceWize NSW’s PeerLine by 1800 644 413 or message us on social media.
🤔Further information
- dancewizensw.org.au/drug-resources
- nuaa.org.au/resources
Get naloxone and fentanyl test strips: shop.nuaa.org.au
See NSW Health’s Official Drug Alert / Public Drug Warning: health.nsw.gov.au/aod/public-drug-alerts/
#DrugAlert #DrugWarning #HarmReductionSavesLives #DanceWizeNSW #NUAA