Welsh charity calls for action on deathly drug
Nitazenes have entered the illegal drug market in Wales
Last updated 19th Jun 2024
Substance use charity Barod is calling for Wales to be ready for the growing threat of nitazenes, a strong synthetic opioid, which has entered the illegal market in Wales.
Nitazenes mimic the effects of natural opioids but are much stronger than heroin and small amounts can be deadly.
Barod launched an "urgent" action plan in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday (19th June), with Minister for Mental Health and Early Years, Jayne Bryant MS and the Chair of the Senedd’s Substance-Use and Addiction Cross-Party Group Peredur Owen Griffiths MS, also in attendance.
At the event, the charity's chief executive Caroline Phipps said: "At Barod, we believe we need to be brave and bold if we are to help reduce harm and save the lives of our citizens.
“We want Wales to be ready for what’s to come. After all, three people die each week due to synthetic opioid use across England and Wales.
"This is set to increase.
"A clear intervention, for example, would be to develop pioneering harm reduction spaces, where we challenge people’s thinking, address stigmatising attitudes and behaviours, while all the while using national and international evidence to inform our thinking.”
The ten point plan includes a bid to fight the stigma surrounding people who use drugs, urging the Welsh Government to "adopt a change in language to help reduce stigma".
There are also calls to make drug testing services more available to people in Wales.