Rise in fentanyl and nitazene overdose deaths as Taliban enforces opium ban

24 February 2025

A UN report warns of the rapid spread of nitazenes—super-strength synthetic opioids more potent than fentanyl—across Europe and North America. These drugs, linked to soaring overdose deaths, have been detected in the UK, US, Canada, and several European nations. The rise of nitazenes coincides with Afghanistan’s strict ban on opium poppy cultivation, which has slashed global heroin supply.

The Taliban's crackdown, hailed as the most successful in history, has seen opium production drop by up to 95% since 2022. Satellite imagery confirms that major poppy-growing provinces, including Helmand, have seen cultivation collapse by over 99% according to a BBC report. While the move aligns with the Taliban’s religious stance and aims to curb addiction, many Afghan farmers who once relied on poppy cultivation have been forced to grow alternative crops such as wheat. However, wheat and other substitutes generate significantly lower income than opium, pushing many farmers into poverty and worsening economic hardship.

Despite the ban, heroin prices have not yet surged, suggesting large stockpiles remain. However, experts warn that as supplies dwindle, users may increasingly turn to synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which carry a far higher risk of overdose. The UK has classified nitazenes as Class A drugs, yet trafficking continues.

This shift marks a critical turning point in global drug markets. While the Taliban’s ban has achieved what decades of Western intervention failed to, its long-term consequences remain uncertain. As heroin supply tightens, the spread of potent synthetic alternatives could drive a new wave of deadly drug crises.

Background on nitazenes

Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids first developed in the 1950s by pharmaceutical companies as experimental painkillers. However, due to their extreme potency—some being up to 40 times stronger than fentanyl—they were never approved for medical use. Unlike heroin and morphine, which are derived from the opium poppy, nitazenes are fully synthetic, meaning they can be easily produced in illicit laboratories. This has led to their increasing availability on the black market, often mixed into other drugs without users' knowledge, leading to a surge in overdoses. The unpredictable potency of nitazenes has made them a growing concern among health officials worldwide.

Global drug use trends

Global drug use increased by 20% in the past decade to 292 million users in 2022, the report said. Cannabis remains the most widely used with 228 million users worldwide. It is followed by: