The Hamilton County Coroner's Office is issuing an urgent warning to residents about a potent new drug that has emerged on the streets and is believed to have caused at least one death in Fishers. The new menace, identified as Nitazene, was discovered during a recent death investigation, according to officials. FOX59 reports that Nitazene is considered by experts to be 1,000 times more potent than morphine and 60 times stronger than fentanyl, two opioids already infamous for their deadly potential.
An ominous throwback from the 1950s, Nitazene was initially developed as a substitute for morphine but it never received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for medical use. Now, the drug is popping up in the black market, with internet pharmacies, primarily based in foreign countries, selling it in various forms such as pills, powders, nasal sprays, and vape liquid. "Nitazine is often falsely marketed as prescription medications such as Oxycodone and Adderall," Jeff Jellison, the Hamilton County coroner, said in a release. "Many overdose victims have no idea they’re ingesting this very dangerous drug," Jellison told WTHR.
The emergence of Nitazene adds a new chapter in the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the nation, which has seen a surge in overdoses linked to fentanyl and its analogs. This new drug appears to raise the stakes even higher, introducing additional risk to users who may unknowingly consume it when seeking other substances. Due to the extreme potency of Nitazene, public health officials emphasize the need for immediate action in the case of a suspected overdose. Anyone who suspects an overdose should call 911 right away. Narcan, an emergency treatment for opioid overdose, should be used until professional help arrives.
