New guidance from the government on incident planning for potent synthetic opioids
After concerns that synthetic opioids are being seen more often in local drug markets the government has prepared guidance for local commissioners and service providers
This new guidance, developed in partnership with the Local Government Association, has been designed to help local commissioners and service providers prepare for and respond to incidents involving potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes or fentanyl. It is in response to concerns that synthetic opioids are being seen more often in local drug markets. These could be sought by drug users or unwittingly added to street heroin and are also sometimes seen in fake opioid tablets (like oxycodone blue or yellow tablets) and even occasionally in non-opioid drugs, like cocaine, benzodiazepines and synthetic cannabinoids (SCRAs).
The guidance covers:
- Understanding the scale of the threat and assessing the risk
- Communicating the threat
- Taking actions to mitigate the threat
This guidance could also be useful for planning for incidences involving other unusually potent drugs, and will also be relevant to prisons and other secure settings.
Find out more on the government website.
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