Deadly opioid “100 times” more potent than heroin found in Melbourne party pills

At least one person is in hospital after a deadly opioid “100 times” more potent than heroin was found in Melbourne party pills.

One person is in hospital after a deadly opioid “100 times” more potent than heroin was found in Melbourne party pills.

At least one person is in hospital after a deadly opioid “100 times” more potent than heroin was found in Melbourne party pills.

A drug alert issued on Friday warned the pink and white pill capsules — sold as ‘3C-P’ or a psychedelic around Melbourne — actually contained a dangerous opioid called protonitazene.

“There has been one serious recent hospitalisation in Victoria associated with this pink and white capsule,” the health department warned.

Protonitazene is a novel synthetic opioid that “can produce life-threatening toxic effects in very small amounts” and has a “potency over 100 times that of heroin”.

It is a type of central nervous system depressant, and can cause “dangerously slow breathing” which can appear more quickly compared to other drugs, “increasing the risk of life-threatening overdose”.

“The product appears to produce strong adverse effects such as loss of consciousness, respiratory depression, and life-threatening hypoxia (insufficient oxygen for normal functioning).”

“If you experience or witness adverse drug effects, call triple-0 (000) immediately,” the alert warned.

The alert warned mixing the drug with alcohol, GHB, benzodiazepines like Xanax or Valium or any other depressant increased the risk of overdose.

Symptoms of opioid toxicity include slow breathing, reduced consciousness and, in some cases, tiny pupils but can be treated by Naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose and is “safe to use even if you’re not sure” what someone has taken.

It comes after multiple revellers were hospitalised in a critical condition after overdosing on MDMA at Hardmission Festival earlier this year.