New street drug linked to 28 deaths in 3 months

Dangerous substance can kill almost instantly

- DAN VEVERS

• Fears contamination is leading to spike in fatalities

A TERRIFYING new drug dubbed "pyro" has been linked to at least 28 overdose deaths this year, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

Found in street heroin, etonitazene - which can be 800 times stronger than morphine - was detected in Scotland for the first time in December.

Known by its street name, the lethal contaminant has been found in dozens of suspected drug fatalities. In has mostly been seen in heroin, where it is believed to have been used as a cutting agent, but it has also been found in Valiumtype benzodiazapene pills.

Addicts are believed to be unaware they are taking it in most cases with reports of people overdosing almost instantly. The lab-made substance is a synthetic nitazene opioid similar to notorious drug fentanyl, which has ravaged the US and is often hundreds of times stronger than heroin.

One ex-drug addict said he believes up to 90 per cent of heroin is being cut with deadly opioids like pyro and fentanyl.

The Glasgow dad, in his 30s, who is currently in recovery, told the Sunday Mail: "It's going completely under the radar. It's incredibly common across the whole UK for one place to get a strong batch then a bunch of folk die, the dealers go into hiding for a bit but no one ever knows because generally families don't want to talk about it.

"So the dealers get off scot free and return when things have calmed and the cycle repeats.