By Mike Power / Courtesy of Vice.com
Isotonitazene is a novel synthetic opioid that has not yet been banned. But deaths are on the rise.
The appearance of isotonitazene in North America’s narcotic food chain seems to confirm fears that last year’s ban by China of the non-medical use, supply, and production of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl would fail to shut the door on the lab drugs fueling America’s opioid crisis.
Barry K. Logan, a leading international authority on forensic toxicology and chief scientist at forensic firm NMS labs, said his colleagues have identified isotonitazene—which has a potency equivalent to fentanyl—in samples from more than 200 deceased drug users in the midwest and northeast since August last year…