Stronger than Fentanyl, N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene 1000 to 2000 times Stronger than Morphine
A new drug is hitting the streets named N-pyrrolidino etonitazene. The problem with N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is its potency: N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is estimated to be 20-times stronger than fentanyl. Fentanyl is typically 50-100 times stronger than morphine, making N-pyrrolidino etonitazene 1000 to 2000 times stronger than morphine.
People are Dying from Taking N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene
It’s stronger than Fentanyl, so just how prevalent is N-pyrrolidino etonitazene?
Alex Krotulski, a toxicologist and director of the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education, said new synthetic opioids have evolved into one of the fastest growing groups of new psychoactive substances worldwide. N-pyrrolidino etonitazene, specifically, was first detected in May 2021, after toxicology work was conducted during an overdose case in West Virginia, Krotulski said.
Since then, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene also appeared during death investigations in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida and Colorado, he said. Additionally, synthetic opioids were reported by agencies in Europe.
Wilson Compton, a physician and deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said the National Drug Early Warning System sent out an alert in April about a syringe that was found in a Washington and Baltimore high intensity drug trafficking area. The hypodermic needle contained fentanyl and isotonizazene, a structurally similar compound to N-pyrrolidino etonitazene.
In the same time frame, the Early Warning System also released a bulletin identifying etonitazene in the Washington and Baltimore region, with 17 cases in Maryland and two incidents in Washington.
“We don’t have evidence that N-pyrrolidino etonitazene has reached New England,” Compton said. “But we do have evidence from other parts of the country beyond Florida.”
Fentanyl now dominates the recreational drug market
Although the recreational drug market was once dominated by heroin, Krotulski said fentanyl now leads the synthetic opioid supply and makes up 90% to 95% of what’s sold on the street. The rest of what’s being sold are other synthetic opioids like N-pyrrolidino etonitazene.
“Heroin is gone — it’s pretty much all fentanyl flooding the market at this point,” he said. “It (fentanyl) started infiltrating the opioid supply in 2008 so it is kind of a long hauler and it’s probably not going anywhere.”
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The presence of synthetic opioids like N-pyrrolidino etonitazene “rise and fall like a rollercoaster,” said Krotulski.
“You’ve got one that pops up then it goes away and then another one pops up and then it goes away,” he said.
The most dangerous thing about these substances, he said, are potency levels.
“Fentanyl itself is already more potent than heroin so it’s a little bit scary when we are seeing all of these synthetic opioids that are stronger than fentanyl,” he said. “The one that scares me the most is N-pyrrolidino etonitazene because it’s so highly potent.”
Synthetic opioid labs dominate in the Far East
Although Maiorana doesn’t know who sold N-pyrrolidino etonitazene to Bernard, Krotulski said the drug is coming from countries such as China and India and making its way to street-level dealers.
The Times attempted to contact the Cape Cod & Islands Drug Task Force multiple times by phone and email about the local presence of N-pyrrolidino etonitazene. A task force media representative answered initially but no information was provided.
Compton agreed that most drug synthesis is happening in the Far East, but said laboratories are moving closer to the United States.
Drug users no longer know what they’re getting
Dealers also use elements including starch or sugar to bulk up material and mix N-pyrrolidino etonitazene with fentanyl as well. Usually when it’s sold in this way, Krotulski said, people think they are buying heroin. Dealers aren’t revealing that they are actually selling N-pyrrolidino etonitazene — because buyers don’t know what that substance is.
“Generally they’re saying that they are selling heroin or dope. And then the user, unfortunately, is exposed to these other drugs unknowingly because they have no idea that they’re in there,” he said. “That’s generally how we see more deaths.”
This is especially true, when N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is sold in pill form, Krotulski said. Buyers can purchase them online, where they are referred to as “psychonauts” or prescription drugs.
If you know anyone who is currently using drugs purchased on the street no matter what it may be, please contact us immediately. Getting into treatment is the best thing anyone can do to avoid death from this new, very, very dangerous drug.