Lancashire Drug Alert

The Drug Market Has Never Been As Dangerous

• Synthetic opioids like Nitazenes and Fentanyl along with the animal sedatives Xylazine and Medetomidine are unwanted contaminants are added to poor quality heroin and fake prescription drugs.
  

• Street drugs contaminated with Nitazenes are more likely to lead to fatal overdose.
  

Naloxone Is The Antidote To An Opioid Overdose

Naloxone Works on Nitazenes and Fentanyl

​

• Don’t use alone, as there is nobody to help if you overdose.
  
• Watch out for signs of an overdose in friends.
  
• Make sure you have a supply of naloxone.
  
• You may have to use more than one dose of naloxone.
  
• Ring for an ambulance if somebody overdoses. Naloxone is a temporary antidote, you still need to ring for an ambulance after you have used naloxone.
  
• Using diazepam or pregabalin at the same time as heroin, methadone or other opioids increases the risk of overdose.
  
• Injecting heroin is a higher risk than smoking it. If you do use heroin always take a small test dose with every new bag.
  
• If you have test strips, use them. Don’t risk it if your drugs test positive.
  
• Naloxone will not work on Xylazine or Medetomidine, but should be used in case they have taken another opioid.