'I feel like my son was murdered by his drug dealer'
Nitazenes were linked to at least 54 deaths in the UK in the final six months of 2023. The ±«Óãtv has been investigating what they are and why they're dangerous.
Simeon McAnoy used to work as a door-to-door window salesman in Birmingham - until he died of a drug overdose. It’s believed he thought he was taking heroin. But he wasn't. It was a new super-strength synthetic opioid. They’re known as nitazenes and the ±«Óãtv has learned they’re behind dozens of recent deaths across the UK. Data from The National Crime Agency shows that nitazenes have been linked to at least 54 deaths in the last year, while an additional 40 cases are awaiting forensic toxicology.
Some experts believe a crackdown on heroin production by the Taliban in Afghanistan, has led to an increase in synthetic opioids in the drug supply here. In this episode of 5 Minutes On, our Midlands correspondent, Navtej Johal, investigates the rise in these drugs, hearing from Simeon's mum, Jackie, about why she wants there to be much greater awareness.
(Image Credit: ±«Óãtv)
