Two congressmen are reaching across the aisle in try to stop nitazenes — a deadly new Narcan-resistant synthetic opioid that is already causing a “new wave” of overdose deaths.
The Nitazene Control Act, introduced by Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) and Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), seeks to get ahead of the problem by legally classifying it as a drug with no medical use and high overdose risk.
The bill would also close a loophole that allows some versions of the drug to fall outside laws banning synthetic opioids.
After US authorities increased efforts to cut off the supply of fentanyl, Chinese pharma companies and cartels in Mexico have already moved to introduce nitazenes, a class of narcotic that can be more than 40 times more deadly than fentanyl.
“Nitazenes are the next fentanyl — cheap to produce, easy to traffic, and devastatingly lethal. Too many families already have an empty seat at the table because of these synthetic drugs,” Vindman said.
“I’m proud to work across the aisle to confront this crisis, protect our communities, and give law enforcement the tools to save lives.”
Vindman and Baumgartner recently visited the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Clandestine Lab and Training Facility at Quantico, where the feds expressed their need for better policing of nitazenes, the Democratic Rep. said.
“Right now, drug traffickers adapt faster than the law. By closing this loophole, we’re staying one step ahead to keep these deadly poisons out of our communities,” said Vindman.
Baumgartner expressed a sense of urgency “to stop what could become the next major wave of the opioid crisis.”
“Nitazenes are extremely powerful synthetic drugs, even stronger than fentanyl, and they’re already appearing in fake pills and street drugs across the country. We need to act now,” he said.
“This bill takes a smart, proactive approach by cracking down on these drugs before they spread further, while still allowing for legitimate medical research. It’s a targeted response to a dangerous and fast-moving threat.”
Routine drug tests and toxicology screenings don’t normally look for Nitazenes, making it all the more difficult to detect.
The potent narcotic was developed 60 years ago as a potential alternative to morphine, but was never approved for medical use because it was too dangerous.
The drug was first detected in the US in 2019.
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