Latest news with #overdose
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning after two suspected opioid deaths at the weekend: Met Police urge Brits to take care after pills '500 times stronger than heroin' are feared to be being used in nightclubs
An urgent warning has been issued after two people died in a suspected synthetic opioid overdose following a night out over the weekend. A man, 28, and woman, 20, are thought to have taken Nitazenes, believed to be up to 500 times stronger than heroin, after partying at a south London nightclub during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Their bodies were later discovered at a property in Southall, west London, after a concerned friend was unable to wake the pair. The Met Police confirmed an investigation into their 'sudden deaths' had commenced but no arrests had been made yet. The force added: 'This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill.' Drug testing charity The Loop has suggested these pills contain Nitazenes, which can be '50 to 500 times stronger than heroin'. The organisation added that they are often sold under the pretence that they are oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription painkiller. A theory is that the pair thought they were taking oxycodone to assist them in getting to sleep, The Times reports. World famous south London club Ministry Of Sound warned its customers to 'stay safe' last week, just days after the deaths over Bank Holiday weekend. The pills taken by the users over the weekend had the number 80 on one side and possibly an 'OP' on the other, Ealing Council said. The Cause nightclub in east London has taken to its Instagram account to claim there had been 'several hospitalisations across multiple London venues' associated with the pills. MailOnline has approached the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to verify this statement. The Met Police has also been contacted for comment. An Ealing Council spokesperson told people to avoid taking the pills 'even in small amounts' and that people considering consuming them should not do so by themselves. Users should also think about carrying naloxone - an opioid overdose antidote. Nitazenes were first created in the 1950s as opioid painkillers but were never approved for medical use. For 70 years, their existence was forgotten. Then, after Britain and America's withdrawal from Afghanistan - and the Taliban's subsequent narcotics ban - they re-emerged as a way to strengthen low-purity heroin in case opium supplies dwindled. Experts are united in their fear of the rising risk of nitazenes. Yet, while heroin users are still vulnerable, young people buying traditionally legal drugs such as Valium and Xanax as coping mechanisms are also at risk. In fact, MailOnline analysis of data from the UK's only drug testing facility Wedinos has revealed that two-thirds of samples that contained nitazenes were supposed to be legal medications that could be purchased legally. Two-thirds of that total were bought by people intending to buy Valium (diazepam). So far, the number of nitazene-related deaths only stands at 458 in the last two years, up to April 13. However, there was a 166 per cent increase from 2023 (125 deaths) to 2024 (333 deaths) - more than double in a single year, and even that total is expected to rise once toxicology and forensic testing improves and is finalised. Steve Rolles, a senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, told MailOnline: 'The number of deaths is rising at an alarming rate. It's the tip of the iceberg. 'What has happened in the US should be a warning to policymakers in the UK. We could be heading to a US-style overdose crisis. We are talking thousands or tens of thousands dying. 'All the indications are that is what is happening. I'm very wary of scaremongering about drugs but I'm deeply worried about the potential carnage opioids could do in the UK. 'We already have the highest overdose rate in Europe. Nitazenes could make it way, way worse. 'This is a very serious public health emergency that's not being taken seriously enough.' He added: 'I am scared. There's almost one person dying every day from nitazenes and most people haven't even heard of it. 'If it was anything else, there would be national panic. The government hasn't grasped the urgency of this.' Rolles is starting to see heroin mixed with nitazenes on the streets of Britain. He said: 'It does seem it's getting more [prevalent] as the heroin supply dries up.'
CBC
6 hours ago
- General
- CBC
The death of this 26-year-old Thunder Bay man is revealing the realities of the opioid crisis
Each of the 10 short films of the We Were Here video series tells the story of a young person in Ontario who lost their life before the age of 30 due to the opioid crisis. One of those stories belongs to Zach Tilson-Ozarko who died in June 2019 at age 26. Susan Tilson, his mother from Thunder Bay, took part in the project. "I want to focus on how my son lived and not how he died. And this is a perfect tribute," Tilson said. The YouTube series honours the lives of young people who died from fentanyl-related overdoses. It pairs oral storytelling with intricate, hand-drawn illustrations to capture the lives of individuals who were more than statistics. The numbers are staggering. According to the federal health information database, there have been a total of 46,835 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations between January 2016 and September 2024 across Canada. But Toronto writer Mary Fairhurst-Breen says much of the public still view this ongoing epidemic through a lens of stigma and detachment. Fairhurst-Breen interviewed grieving families in Ontario in 2024. She worked with Nova Scotia artist Jessica Hiemstra to bring each story to life through frame-by-frame stop-motion animation. With support from arts grants and a small team of dedicated collaborators, We Were Here became a multimedia tribute. Fairhurst-Breen's connection to the crisis is personal. Her daughter Sophie died in 2020 of fentanyl poisoning. "The first thing I did was write a very honest obituary," she said. "I guess that was unusual enough at the time that I got media interest from the obituary." The honesty of her words struck a nerve, and the project grew from there. But the project is not only about remembrance. It's also about challenging assumptions. Putting a face on the statistics of the opioid crisis Susan Tilson described her son Zach as, "very compassionate, funny, and loud." "He stuck up for the underdogs and at times he was the underdog," Tilson said. "He was always speaking out and talking about his struggles. When Zach was little, he was sexually abused by his stepdad and so he went to workshops and treatment facilities and was talking about what he did to help deal with those demons." Zach was a skateboarder, musician and community advocate who spoke publicly about the trauma he carried. "My sister always says that I could see Zach being like a politician in the future or like an advocate for people. That's what that generation has lost." Since Zach's death, Tilson has earned a master's degree and now works as a psychotherapist, supporting others coping with loss and trauma. The launch of We Were Here was marked by a community screening in Toronto, where families gathered to watch the films together for the first time. Fairhurst-Breen hopes the series will reach audiences beyond those directly affected including educators, policymakers and the general public. She envisions the films being used in classrooms, public health campaigns and community events such as Overdose Awareness Day. For those left behind, Tilson says it offers something even more vital, connection. "I feel that he was there, in the room and all the other family's kids as well," Tilson said.
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Man sentenced for role in Minnesota's largest ever fentanyl bust
A man has been sentenced for his role in one of the largest fentanyl busts in Minnesota history. Court documents show a judge sentenced Quijuan Bankhead to 10 years in prison, five years supervised released and $100 special assessment. Bankhead was one of eight people who previously pleaded guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. A ninth person, Cornell Chandler Jr., was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2024 for his role in the drug trafficking operation, officials say. Charges say between August 2022 and December 2023, several of the defendants would travel to Phoenix to obtain fentanyl pills from suppliers and would hide the pills inside stuffed animals before mailing them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Authorities from Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties initiated a joint investigation into the trafficking ring, resulting in the seizure of over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills. Investigators say there were 280,000 pills with an estimated value of more than $2 million. Preliminary data from the Minnesota Department of Health says more than 1,200 people died from drug overdoses in 2023, with about 70% of them involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Being smart on crime' leading to downtrend of overdoses
TUNKHANNOCK, WYOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A local community is doing its part to combat the opioid epidemic by handing out a potentially life saving drug Narcan. It's a medication that counteracts the effects of opiate related overdoses. Wyoming County District Attorney Joe Peters, along with his community awareness group, set up shop in Tunkhannock in an effort to get this potential life-saver in as many hands as possible. For years, Wyoming County has been putting up a fight against the opioid epidemic through community events like this one. DAs share crime trends in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties The anonymous drive-through event hopes get Narcan in the hands of as many residents as possible, something District Attorney Joe Peters calls being 'smart on crime'. 'We just want to get Narcan out there. It's like a fire extinguisher. There's one in every building because, you're not trying to encourage a fire, you're trying to have something there to stop the fire,' said District Attorney Peters. Inside the kits, Narcan and instructions on how to administer it. Narcan is a nasal form of the drug naloxone. It binds with opioid receptors in the brain to reverse the effects of an overdose. The drug is not harmful to the user. 'That's the magic and the miracle of this drug,' expressed District Attorney Peters. While opioid related deaths are on the downtrend here in Wyoming County, District Attorney Joe Peters says distribution events like this one are crucial to continuing the fight against opioid abuse. One woman attending the event tells me she lost her brother to a fentanyl overdose only a few years ago. She says she wishes resources like these could have been available then. 'I think not only being aware that this, you know, is in our communities, this fentanyl, but being knowledgeable that there are things like Narcan that can make a difference,' said Mary Scarpa, Tunkhannock. She says now, she carries Narcan wherever she goes just in case someone needs it. 'If the situation ever occurs that, you know, I can help somebody out then I certainly would like to. It is really difficult to lose somebody to an overdose and so I don't wish that upon anybody,' expressed Scarpa. Peters says he hopes to have more Narcan distribution events throughout Wyoming County in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missing Hot Springs man's remains found
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — We're learning about a man who disappeared in Hot Springs nearly a year ago. SFPD: 7 confirmed overdose deaths so far in 2025 According to a post on Facebook, Matthew Marshall's remains have been found. 28-year-old Matthew Marshall was last seen on July 24, 2024. His family plans to host a vigil in his honor. More details will be shared as they come available. Matthew's family extend thank yous to every one who dedicated their time, energy and prayers to help find Matthew. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
