Super-potent nitazene opioids linked to sharp rise in U.S. overdose deaths

Synthetic opioids known as nitazenes, which can be up to forty times stronger than fentanyl, are increasingly being found mixed into other street drugs across the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that deaths involving nitazenes have jumped from 27 in 2020 to 409 in 2024, indicating a rapid and alarming spread of the substance.

A personal case highlighted in the reporting describes Ashley Delgado, a former prescription‑opioid patient whose addiction progressed to fentanyl and ultimately to nitazene exposure, leading to her death in 2023.

The surge underscores growing challenges for public‑health officials and underscores the need for enhanced surveillance and intervention strategies to curb the emerging crisis.