In the fall of 2024, it was reported on how the drug Metonitaz – which belongs to the group of synthetic opioids called Nitazen – was sold in incorrectly labeled packaging and police as well as healthcare professionals then went out and warned the public.
– If you take a tablet, you die, and since they are hidden in fake drugs you don’t know that is what you get in you, said Tobias ErikssonChief physician at the dependency unit at the Academic Hospital, to SVT then.
Recently, the police found that the warnings have given dividends in terms of the number of deaths.
– The combination of warnings in the media and the police communication against the sellers has given an effect. After the efforts, no more deaths were caused by Metonitaz in 2024, says Kristian MalzoffCommissioner at the National Operations Department (NOA), in a press release.
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Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
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Police warns of dimethytonitaz in false drugs
But now the police are worried that the development has taken a new turn, reports SVT. Namely, a new form of Nitazen-called the dimethytonitaz-has been hidden in packages labeled as oxycontin tablets.
– This is very fresh yet so we work with the Swedish Forensic Medicines Agency to determine what it is. But if it will be similar as this fall, there are serious risks, Kristian Malzoff tells the channel.
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Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP/TT Police: “Works intensively against this”
The fact that you have chosen to label the drugs like Oxycontin, which is a well -known drug prescribed in healthcare, is alarming, says Kristian Malzoff.
– We are working intensively against this now and if the deaths go up it will be even more important. We work with customs, go through post terminals and talk to any sellers that it is dangerous, which they may not know either.
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