Publication Highlights

Nitazenes are highly potent opioids, classed as new psychoactive substances (NPS), that were never registered for clinical use due to concerns regarding their toxicity. As with all opioids, the main mechanism of toxicity is respiratory depression. In recent years, there have been reports from Australia and elsewhere of hospitalisations for nitazene toxicity.

To date, no study has examined deaths due to nitazene toxicity in Australia. To examine whether such deaths had occurred, and their characteristics if so, the authors conducted a retrospective study of all known Australian cases in which nitazenes were contributory to death that were recorded from the National Coronial Information System.

Read the full letter to the editor in Drug and Alcohol Review.