Dublin City witnessed an “unprecedented” amount of drug overdoses on Thursday and Friday due to the presence of Nitazenes - a synthetic opioid deemed stronger than heroin - in illicit substances.

“On Thursday we became aware of increasing overdoses, by about 9am we were aware of 8 overdoses by midday it was 12 ,” said Tony Duffin, C.E.O of the Ana Liffey Drug Project based in Dublin.

“Over the next few days the testing of different samples, it was discovered that a synthetic opioid was implicated in at least two of the overdoses.”

The HSE, in tandem with local addiction services, implemented emergency frontline responses after becoming aware of at least 20 overdoses by 6pm on Thursday evening - including the display of health warnings on road traffic signs, and the hiring of extra personnel to issue information to potential overdose victims in Dublin City Centre.

Latest HSE update:

We continue to monitor emergency call outs in the city, with a decline in numbers reported, a total of 54 since Thursday.

Second sample confirmed to contain Nitazenes.

Warning remains in place while monitoring continues.https://t.co/BHVFD1Xxdr

— HSE Drugs.ie (@drugsdotie) November 12, 2023

“We need to make sure that the information is out there”, said Duffin. “We’ve never known this level of overdoses at any one time, it’s unprecedented.

“The main take away is that there was a very serious spike in overdoses and it tapered off over the weekend, ” he added. “It’s a serious situation, but thankfully the response from the state and ourselves was very quick and as a consequence it saved lives."

Concerns over the presence of synthetic opioids have been growing, as recent reports indicate that the Taliban have clamped down stance on heroin production in the country – which contributes to more than 80% of the world’s illicit opiate supply according to the United Nations.

“We had identified in the months previous there had been a report that the Taliban have banned and destroyed up to 95% of poppy plants in Afghanistan”, said Duffin.  “We were concerned about what the ramifications would be and that synthetic opiods would be an issue."

The Ana Liffey C.E.O iterated that, despite the ongoing epidemic in the United States, fentanyl was not the cause of the recent spike in opioid overdoses.

“People tend to want to talk about fentayl but we have to deal with the facts at the moment,” he said. “Right now what we have is nitazene, they’ve had it for a couple of years in the U.K.”

“Nobody knows what will happen in the illicit market,” he continued. “The state will continue testing, but it’s all unfolding as we speak.”

In light of this weekend's events, Hot Press repeats its call for Minister Hildegarde Naughton TD to act now, and green light a mobile injecting facility in Dublin - which according to one service provider, could be up and running within three months.