A strong synthetic opioid three times more potent than fentanyl has been identified in New Zealand.

Protonitazene, part of the nitazene family, has been linked to one death and multiple overdoses in Australia, prompting warnings from health authorities.  

Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia’s acting state director, Dr. Victoria Cock, told local media there is a major concern it is being mixed with other illicit drugs, particularly methamphetamine, and people are being accidentally exposed to it. 

The New Zealand Drug Foundation has confirmed that protonitazene was identified here in February but has not been found mixed with other drugs.  

That would be the “absolute worst-case scenario”, executive director Sarah Helm said.  

In New Zealand, the small presence of nitazenes is mostly being used by people experienced in using opioids, she said.  

“[That] doesn’t mean that [nitazenes] are not dangerous but nonetheless [those people] are more likely to be able to navigate it and have the things on hand they need.” 

Helm is concerned about the possibility of it adulterating another drug, like what has happened in Australia.  

“If we had an adulteration of methamphetamine here, for example, people wouldn’t realise that they’re taking a drug that’s very, very potent and can result in an overdose fatality so they might be likely to consume a lot of it and that can result in death quite quickly.” 

A recent report from the New Zealand Drug Foundation has called for urgent action on measures to prevent overdoses.  

The report's recommendations include overdose prevention centres and the distribution of naloxone, which reverses opioid overdose, and other overdose reversal drugs.  

“[Naloxone] is a bit of a miracle drug and in other countries, it's been made very readily available, including in Australia. Here, it’s very, very hard to get.” 

“We desperately need that in the hands of people who are going to need it because an overdose fatality from a drug like [protonitazene] happens incredibly quickly,” Helm said. 

Shannon Johnstone is a journalist at Newstalk ZB based in Auckland covering education and general news. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2021 and previously worked at Hawke's Bay Today.