The UK has “one of the highest rates of drug deaths in Europe”, the National Crime Agency has said – as it warned about a rise in the use of “incredibly strong” synthetic opioids.

Graeme Biggar, director-general of the agency, said “there has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs” after 4,300 people died due to drug misuse in the UK in 2023.

He said the number of drug fatalities every year has increased by 60% since 2013 and had tripled over the last 30 years.

Mr Biggar shared the figures as he explained over the last year the National Crime Agency (NCA) had seen the presence of synthetic opioids in greater numbers after previously emerging in small levels in the form of drugs like fentanyl – which is 50 times stronger than heroin.

One of those synthetic opioids is nitazene, which can be up to 300 times stronger than heroin.

The NCA director-general said it is being mixed with heroin, as well as cocaine and street pills.

Mr Biggar said there have been 284 deaths caused by nitazene or versions of it since the surge in use of the substance began in June 2023.

British Challenger 2 tanks have been used inside Russia by Ukrainian troops, Sky News understands

Mpox: UK preparing after virus declared global emergency – as Sweden records first case

UK riots: 15-year-old from Sunderland becomes first person charged with riot after nationwide disorder

He stressed that number is likely to rise as investigations into other deaths continue.

Leading a briefing on the state of crime in the UK, Mr Biggar said: “That is a relatively small proportion of overall drug deaths, but it has been growing. It is significant.”

He added: “From nitazene, you can absolutely die the very first time you take it, and from nitazene, you very often don’t know you are taking it.

“It is heroin that’s been adulterated. It’s been put into a pill that you think is something else. And so anyone, a teenager, might be taking a drug thinking it is something else, and it’s nitazene. It is incredibly strong, and you die.”

Read more:
Crisis warning over deadly drug cocktail
The father who takes drugs in a ‘cage’
Dundee – Europe’s drug death capital

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

In the majority of nitazene cases, the substance was “consumed unintentionally alongside other drugs such as heroin and/or benzodiazepines, with very small quantities capable of leading to overdose and death”, according to a document setting out the NCA’s national strategic assessment.

The report added: “We must prepare for these substances to become widely available, both unadvertised in fortified mixes, and in response to user demand as a more potent high.”

Mr Biggar said there is concern the increase of nitazene in the UK drug market will lead to “more and more people unwittingly taking it and dying from it”.

The NCA director-general said his warning applied to anyone who takes recreational drugs as he highlighted that the agency estimates the cost to society in the UK from the misuse of drugs is £20bn.

Mr Biggar explained during the briefing that it has “always been the case that if you’re a drug user, you do not know what you are taking”, before adding: “But that is ever more the case now.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

He said drugs were the biggest single driver of organised crime in the UK and remained the “most important crime type” for the law enforcement agency to be tackling.

Related posts:

Matt Hancock resigns as health secretary after admitting breaking COVID rules The silence of friends sealed Matt Hancock’s fate – not the damnation of his enemies England to hit new vaccine milestone today with half of under-30s jabbed against COVID-19 Queen holds second royal engagement in a week with Bank of England’s governor Children’s author Shirley Hughes dies aged 94 after short illness King Charles selling 14 racehorses left to him by the Queen Man stabbed to death with broken glass on London bridge is named Train passengers stung by biggest fare hike in a decade Army veteran says he owes rescuers his life after distress call ends record attempt Number of British victims killed in Israel-Hamas war rises to 10: What we know about them so far Witness describes moment ‘body of Clapham chemical attack suspect’ found in Thames Experts want clear timeframe over Starmer’s pledge to increase defence spending