British ministers were aware of a ‘significant’ threat from synthetic opioids two years ago

Ministers were warned almost two years ago about the “significant threat to public health” posed by synthetic opioids, but delayed recommended steps to tackle the rising number of deaths. Observer can reveal.

In a report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, sent to the Home Office in July 2022, the government’s own advisers raised concerns about the spread of the powerful drugs in Britain and called for urgent action to protect people from ‘serious harm’. ”.

The panel of 23 independent experts – including the medical director of a major London NHS trust and the head of drug threat at the National Crime Agency – cited official statistics showing that in October 2021 there had been 31 suspected heroin overdoses involving nitasenes – some kind of synthetic opioids – were present.

They said the figures were likely an “underestimation” and that the substances had also been found in cocaine, illicit prescription tablets and vapes, posing a “serious acute health risk” similar to that of fentanyl.

The 2022 report called for 10 synthetic opioids to be controlled “as soon as possible” as Class A drugs to “bring them into line with other high-potency opioids,” meaning the maximum penalty for making or dispensing them would be life in prison . It also called for a generic definition of nitasenes to ensure that new variations would automatically be considered Class A, raised concerns about inconsistencies in testing, and called for the establishment of a national working group to set standards for post-mortem testing, aimed at improving monitoring and preventing deaths.

But the report does not appear to have been addressed as a priority in 2022, with no response for seven months. When the Home Office responded in February 2023, it said it regretted the delay and accepted the report’s main recommendation to categorize the main synthetic opioids as class A drugs, adding that it would would do so as soon as parliamentary time permitted. This was followed by another nine months before the amendments were submitted to Parliament.

It was only last Wednesday that stricter controls on the ten synthetic substances named by the advisory council in 2022, and four others identified since, came into effect. officially came into effect.

The government said the new law showed ministers were “highly alert” to the threat of synthetic opioids. “We are not complacent,” said Home Secretary James Cleverly.

A spokesperson said the changes would “help prevent drug-related deaths in Britain and ensure that anyone caught supplying these substances faces tough penalties,” and said they showed that ministers have “a range of preventive measures taken”.

But experts say the government has not been quick enough to make such changes, or to track non-fatal overdoses. An Advisory Council member said it had been warning the government “for years” about the “huge threat” of synthetic opioids, including calling for improvements in testing. “I am concerned about the lack of speed in preparing for what is to come,” they said.

Dr. Mark Pucci, a Birmingham-based consultant in clinical toxicology, said the country was “now catching up”. He told the BBC: “I really believe that England is lagging behind in this area. The data collection method they use for drug paraphernalia testing will only be the tip of the iceberg.”

According to the National Crime Agency, 101 deaths have been officially linked to synthetic opioids since last summer, but the actual figure is likely higher.

According to data from testing service Wedinos, synthetic opioids are not only mixed with ‘hard’ drugs such as heroin, but are also increasingly found in samples sold as prescription drugs.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stark warning at a UN conference in Vienna about the danger of fentanyl and other synthetic substances.

David Caunter, head of the drugs unit at Interpol, which facilitates police cooperation in 196 countries, told the Observer that synthetic opioids were being shipped “direct to consumer” from China to the United Kingdom and other destination countries. He said packages were often sent through other countries to disguise their place of origin and sent in small packages, making it “very challenging” for police to “connect those dots.”

“It’s almost like a ‘death by 1,000 cuts’ model. But when you look at the criminal networks behind it, you see that they are sending hundreds, if not thousands, of packages per week, and you realize that this is actually a very large-scale, transnational criminal organization.”

The government did not comment on the reason for the delays in its response to the 2022 report, but said there had been an “intense operational effort” to track down suppliers of synthetic opioids since they were first discovered and that the quantities reaching the UK “remain lower than other countries”.

It said that although synthetic opioids were not previously classified as class A, they were covered by different legislation, and that it was “trying to stay ahead” by creating a generic definition for nitasenes so that they would automatically be covered by the scheme in future traps. It also said it was improving its “early warning system,” which includes “analyzing wastewater, tracking non-fatal overdose data, and forensic and post-mortem analysis.”

Dr. David Bremner, medical director of the charity Turning Point, said the increase in synthetic opioids was a “major concern”. Without sufficient action, including a uniform national approach to testing, he said he feared “catastrophic deaths”.

Ishmail Hassan, a counselor from the charity Coffee Afrik, which supports people experiencing addiction and homelessness in east London, said: “I don’t think we are prepared. Healthcare, police… they are not ready. Everyone needs to come together and come up with a solution.”

One person supported by the charity in Tower Hamlets said: “People are scared. There are many dangerous things around. I know two people who overdosed recently and they had no idea why.”