What is etonitazene and why is it considered the most potent synthetic drug in the world?

The use of psychoactive substances is a social and health phenomenon that has existed for many years . In many cases, they are often used as an escape from reality, but they are also very harmful to the body . According to the Pan American Health Organization, consuming them increases the " degree of risk of suffering adverse consequences on different organs and systems, which can occur in the short term, as in the case of poisoning ."

Currently, there are various so-called synthetic drugs of chemical origin, generally manufactured in a laboratory , notes the CC Addiction Clinical Center. " This substance produces a series of direct effects on the central nervous system, such as inhibiting pain, altering perceptions, and modifying the user's mood ." See more: The arepa, but the Venezuelan one, was among the best sandwiches in the world: the 'top'

Etonitazene, a synthetic opioid belonging to the nitazene family, originally developed in the 1950s by the Swiss firm CIBA as a potential painkiller, has recently begun to be used. See more: Why do women urinate more often than men if their bladders aren't smaller? An opioid is a very effective painkiller that causes drowsiness and can cause dependence and tolerance if used continuously, according to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy of Medicine).

However, it has not yet been approved for clinical use due to its extreme potency and narrow safety margin. In animals, it is estimated to be 1,000 to 1,500 times more potent than morphine , although in humans it is estimated to be about 60 times more potent. News.com.au

See more: The seed that has benefits for your prostate and bladder​ In comparative terms with other synthetic opioids, its strength is shocking: studies suggest that etonitazene could be 10 to 20 times more potent than fentanyl, which is already approximately 50 times stronger than morphine . This positions it as the most dangerous opioid in its class, even above other nitazenes such as metonitazene or isotonitazene, according to an article in Drugchecking.

Why etonitazene is considered the most potent synthetic drug in the world

One of the reasons it's considered the world's most potent drug is its lethal effect at minimal doses: it has been detected in samples of heroin or counterfeit pills sold on the street without the user's knowledge, leading to immediate overdoses and numerous deaths, according to The Sun. See more: Applying for a visa to leave the country? AI helps predict if you'll get one.

Its dose-effect curve is extremely steep and the risk of respiratory depression is almost immediate, so multiple doses of naloxone are required to counteract an overdose, and sometimes this is not even sufficient.

A Pollsmx investigation showed the potency of today's most commonly used synthetic drugs and revealed that: One etonitazene pill is equivalent to up to 1,500 morphine pills.

One fentanyl pill is equivalent to up to 300 morphine pills.

One heroin pill is equivalent to up to 60 morphine pills.

Although its illicit use has been limited so far, cases have been identified in countries such as Canada, the United States, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Toronto managed to detect it in a powder sample initially believed to be fentanyl, while forensic analysis showed the presence of etonitazene in recent overdose deaths , reports The Sun. See more: Stress is becoming the silent addiction dominating the 21st century

Thus, etonitazene represents an extreme danger for several reasons: its unprecedented potency, its undetected appearance in common drugs , its high risk of instant death, and the difficulty of detecting it in common tests. The combination of high addictiveness, zero therapeutic margin, and suppressed respiration make it the most lethal opioid discovered in recent times.

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