Public health warning over potential risk of potent synthetic opioids

The group of potent synthetic opioids can be sold in powder, liquid or tablet form

A warning has been issued about the potential harmfulness of illegal recreational drugs Nitazenes.

The Manx public health directorate said while the group of synthetic opioids had not been found on the island yet they could lead to an overdose.

The directorate said the potency and toxicity of the drug was potentially 100 times that of morphine.

Although the drugs had been more prevalent in America, they were known to have been used in the UK.

The warning follows the issuing of a National Patient Safety Alert for the drug, which was issued by the UK's Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

Director of public health Hugo van Woerden urged those who may come into contact with the drug, or encounter someone who has taken it, to be aware of the signs of an overdose.

They included decreased levels of consciousness, shallow or irregular breathing - including periods where breathing may stop - and slow heart rate which can cause cardiac arrest, he said.

If someone was suspected of having overdosed, the advice was to call 999 immediately and administer Naloxone, if available.

Naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and is available to anyone who is at risk or knows someone at risk of an opioid overdose.