We all know that taking illegal drugs is dangerous and there is a risk of overdosing. However, over recent years, the risks of overdose and sadly the number of drug overdose deaths have been rising. Taking drugs has become even more dangerous, due to the new wave of synthetic opioids and stimulants being significantly stronger and more dangerous than drugs which were on the market even 10 years ago. Because this is an unregulated market, you never really know what you’re taking, therefore how much is safe, and we’re seeing an unprecedented number of drug deaths across the world due to these stronger drugs and higher levels of drug taking in general.
Please educate yourself about the risks of taking drugs and seek drug addiction treatment, to protect yourself from risk of overdose.
Read on to learn more about the most dangerous drugs.
Opioids
Opioids are the biggest culprits for overdose worldwide. These include; oxycodone, morphine,
codeine, heroin, fentanyl, methadone and opium.
According to the WHO, “Worldwide, in 2019 about 600,000 deaths were attributable to drug use. Close to 80% of these deaths are related to opioids, with about 25% of those deaths caused by opioid overdose.”
They are dangerous because they dull the senses and slow down breathing and the heart rate. In high doses, opioids depress the body’s natural urge to breathe. When someone is having an overdose they can stop breathing and may die.
If you think someone has overdosed on opioids, take action, by calling an ambulance, trying to get a response from the person and putting them in the recovery position to keep their airways open until help arrives. Find out more about overdose prevention strategies
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous synthetic opioids due to its strength. According to the DEA, it is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. This strength makes it easier to overdose on, particularly if another drug is cut with it, therefore the user does not know what is a safe amount to take.
Statistics from the US and Canada are clearly showing that fentanyl is by far the biggest killer. In the US it was responsible for two-thirds of the over 105,000 drug deaths in 2023 and in Canada, fentanyl was responsible for 81% of opioid-overdose deaths in 2022.
However, recently fentanyl has been outstripped in strength by nitazines, which are causing havoc in many areas.
Nitazenes
Nitazenes are potent synthetic opioids, which are estimated to be several times more potent
than fentanyl. In a drug alert from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, they warned that the amount of these drugs was rising in the market and “can increase the risk of accidental overdose, especially when combined with other substances that suppress breathing and heart rate such as other opioids or benzodiazepines.” They are becoming a major issue worldwide.
In the UK, drug overdose deaths increased every year since 2012 and the BBC reported that between 1st June and 7th December 2023, at least 54 deaths in the UK were linked to these synthetic opioids.
This July, they were found to be responsible for a mass overdose in Australia among drug users, who were not familiar with the drug and were shocked by how quickly people were struck with overdose and how difficult it was to bring them back, even with naloxone.
In Australia, they are now on high alert for the increased prevalence of these drugs in the market and the subsequent overdose risk, and shared some very worrying statistics for their impact globally. They reported that, “in the UK there’s been over 170 overdose deaths from nitazenes. It’s estimated there’s been thousands more in the USA over the past few years.”
How to reduce the risk of overdose?
Unfortunately, with nitazenes (also known as ISO), most people are unaware that they have been mixed with drugs that they may have previously taken. The DEA warned that, “Much more potent than heroin and morphine (similar to fentanyl), ISO is being mixed into and marketed as other drugs to make drugs more potent and cheaper to produce. The major concern: This drug can and has caused deadly overdoses in unsuspecting victims. …. DEA regional forensic laboratories have seen this drug mixed into heroin and/or fentanyl (and marketed as common street drugs) with deadly consequences.”
Given this, the only way to 100% guarantee you’ll be safe from overdose is stop taking any illegal drugs.
Australian federal police are warning anyone taking any kind of illicit substance to be on high alert, carry naloxone and be ready to use it. But they admit that even with naloxone, they expect fatalities.
Therefore, we are advising parents, carers, teachers and people in positions of power to look out for signs of drug use and drug addiction among their children, students and employees and try and help them to stop. We’ve written an article to help you spot the signs that someone is addicted to drugs
We’re also advising education to young people about the new and growing dangers of trying drugs, even in a recreational capacity.
There is help out there and it is possible to stop taking drugs and live a happy and full life after drug addiction. Only by stopping and getting clean for good can you protect yourself from overdose. If you’re ready to make a change, here’s some advice on how to stop taking drugs
Please also contact us to find out about our luxury drug rehab in Marbella and how we can support you through a safe detox and a life without drugs.
