VICTORIAN Coroner David Ryan has published the findings from an inquest into the deaths of four people in Broadmeadows last year, with experts calling for more pill checking services and increased awareness around the use of naloxone to reverse nitazene overdose effects.
The people aged between 17 and 42 died after ingesting what they believed was cocaine, but subsequent toxicological analysis revealed it to be protonitazene, a highly potent synthetic opioid.
Coroner Ryan noted the Coroners Prevention Unit has reported 23 confirmed nitazene-involved overdose deaths in Victoria, with the first death occurring in 2021.
The Coroner emphasised the importance of drug checking services, and also recommended the Department of Health consider the effectiveness of nitazene test strips and whether they can be made available to the community as a measure to reduce unintentional overdose.
Opioid expert Professor Suzanne Nielsen, Deputy Director of the Monash Addiction Research Centre, said, "This tragic case underscores the urgency of expanding drug checking services in Victoria."
"A fixed-site service with the capability of accurately detecting nitazenes offers a critical opportunity to detect substances before they cause harm.
"It's a proactive step toward reducing preventable deaths by giving people real-time information about what they're taking and connecting them with harm reduction support."
She said while nitazene test strips are a "promising tool", they are still being validated and cannot detect all types of nitazene drugs.
She called for increased access to, and public awareness of naloxone, noting there is "good evidence" it can reverse nitazene overdoses if administered in time.
NT Health, after finding nitazenes for the first time in tablets last week, has urged people to carry naloxone nasal spray or pre-filled injection if they are using drugs such as cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA or opioids, or at a party where they will be consumed.
Pill checking services in Qld were recently defunded, despite the increased risk of nitazenes in illicit drugs and prescription medicines such as oxycodone and benzodiazepines (PD 09 Apr). KB
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