It's about the potent synthetic opioid metonitazen, which is sold in packages claiming to contain oxymorphone.
Metonitazen is significantly stronger than oxymorphone, and the fact that the packages instead claim to contain the weaker drug increases the risk of overdoses.
"The tablets have been sold in fake packages. Therefore, there is a great risk that you think you're taking tablets you're familiar with, but in reality, it's a much more potent preparation. This increases the risk of overdose and ultimately death," says Kristian Malzoff, commissioner at the National Operational Department (Noa) in a press release.
The collective name for the drug is nitazener and it resembles the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The drug has a strong pain-relieving effect and can cause respiratory arrest in high doses.
"It's primarily people who already use opioids who are at the greatest risk of dying due to this type of drug. It often involves people who have a problematic drug use. Most of those who have died are between 20 and 30 years old," says Kristian Malzoff.
Since the risk of overdose is so great, the police are urging those who sell the drug, both online and on the street, to immediately stop.
The fake packages come from a pharmaceutical company in India, but it's unclear where they were manufactured. The tablets are not legally available in Sweden.
"We want to urge those who sell nitazener to immediately stop doing so to save lives," says Kristian Malzoff.
Facts: The fake packages
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The packages with the fake tablets are labeled "Oxymorphone Hydrochloride Tablets" 40 mg and 20 mg from the pharmaceutical company Aurobindo in India.
The police don't know where they're manufactured, but they've also been found in other countries than Sweden and have caused deaths in Norway, among other places.
This type of tablet is not legally available in Sweden, so you can assume that all tablets of this type are fake and life-threatening.
Source: The police
Nitazener is a group of very potent new synthetic opioids that are increasingly linked to deadly overdoses in the UK and other parts of Europe.
The substances are designed to mimic the effects of traditional opioids like heroin, but are known for their high potency and increased risk.
According to the National Board of Forensic Medicine, metonitazen and other nitazener have alone or in combination with other substances caused poisoning deaths in Sweden as well.
The signs of an overdose include, among other things, decreased consciousness and respiratory depression.
Source: Stockholm Addiction Center.
