A STUDENT from Navarra has become the first person in Spain to die after taking nitazenes, a group of synthetic opioids so powerful that experts warn using them is like playing Russian roulette.
The young man died on 2 August 2024, although the case has only now come to light.
Nitazenes are considered far more dangerous than heroin and even fentanyl, with some variants believed to be up to 500 times stronger.
The gap between a dose that produces a high and one that kills is extremely small.
He was first admitted to hospital on 28 July after snorting isotonitazene given to him by a friend.
He arrived with severely reduced consciousness and dangerously low blood pressure, requiring multiple doses of naloxone to reverse the overdose.
Doctors struggled to stabilise his breathing, a common issue with the drug, but he discharged himself after just four hours. Five days later, he was found dead at home.
His case was further complicated by the presence of other substances, which can greatly increase the risk of respiratory failure when combined.
READ MORE: British tourist died in Costa Blanca hospital after taking drugs before flight to Spain
Experts say one of the biggest dangers is that nitazenes are difficult to detect.
Standard hospital tests often miss them, and they can break down quickly in the body, meaning even post-mortem results may come back negative.
This has raised fears that deaths linked to the drug are being underreported.
Although Spain has recorded very few known cases so far, numbers have begun to rise slightly, and authorities fear there may be hidden use.
In other parts of Europe, including the UK and Ireland, these drugs have already been linked to hundreds of deaths, often after being mixed with heroin without users knowing.
Nitazenes were first developed in the 1950s as painkillers but were never approved due to their extreme strength and high risk of addiction.
Today, they are produced illegally and are increasingly appearing on the drug market.
While Spain has so far avoided the kind of opioid crisis seen in the United States, experts warn the threat remains.
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