00:00A lethal synthetic opioid is spreading across Australia with deadly consequences.
00:09With nidazines coming into the market the way they have, that's going to increase the
00:13numbers of deaths.
00:14The drug is stronger than fentanyl and hundreds of times more potent than heroin.
00:20It's being found in illicit substances such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals, cocaine, even
00:26vapes.
00:27There was a cluster of people that were vaping nidazines, they were unaware that they were
00:33becoming opioid dependent and one person presented to an emergency department with opioid withdrawal.
00:38A new nidazine called Protodez nidazine has been detected in Australia for the first time
00:45after it was seized by Queensland police.
00:48As far as I can tell this one sits somewhere in the middle, it's not the most potent nidazine
00:52out there but it's still a potent nidazine.
00:54Experts believe criminals are designing new nidazines to evade detection.
00:59As soon as one drug is found and there starts to be regulations around that particular product
01:04they try to go ahead and make more and different ones.
01:07At a time when the drug supply market is riskier and more contaminated than ever, the Queensland
01:13government will close two pill testing sites today in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
01:19To see announcements about that being shut down, look it's breathtaking and at the end
01:26of the day I'm scared that the next time I have to do an interview it will be to reflect
01:32on somebody's death.
01:34Nidazines have been detected in fake pharmaceuticals on three separate occasions during testing
01:39in Queensland in the past five months.
01:43People are turning to alternative markets such as the black market to access drugs such
01:48as say ozempic type derivatives for weight loss.
01:51So it's not just about opioids.
01:53Unlike other states, Queensland doesn't have an overdose monitoring system or a public
01:59drug alert network.
02:01Which means that we don't really know these drugs are circulating unless either a drug
02:05checking service detects it or unfortunately someone overdoses and ends up in hospital
02:09or passing away.
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