New Super-Potent Drugs Found in Online Party Pills
Source: nytimes.com
- Scientists have identified 15 new psychoactive drugs in recreational pills sold online, including a nitazene 20 times stronger than fentanyl.
- These drugs, found in over 1,000 samples from the U.S. and Europe, are mixed with common party drugs like MDMA and ketamine.
- The discovery raises alarms about unpredictable overdoses as users unknowingly take ultra-potent substances.
Researchers analyzed pills marketed as ecstasy or other club drugs and found they often contain novel psychoactive substances, including dangerous synthetic opioids called nitazenes. A team from the University of Bath and other institutions tested samples bought from dark web vendors. Their findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, reveal how these hidden additives make party drugs far riskier than users realize. This matters because it shows the growing threat of unregulated online dr