Drug Trends has identified, crawled (or ‘scraped’), extracted, categorised and analysed drug listings on cryptomarkets on a regular basis since 1st February 2014.

This bulletin series describes trends in nitazene listings, overall and those that deliver to Australia, over a 12-month period; and identifies the most frequently listed nitazenes on cryptomarkets.

Key findings

• Nitazenes are a class of highly potent synthetic opioids. There have been increasing detections of nitazenes, and growing reports of harms from their use both in Australia and globally
• A total of 1751 listings selling nitazenes were identified from 15 cryptomarkets in the period from February 2023 to January 2024.
• There was an increase in the percentage and number of nitazene listings on the cryptomarkets over the 12-month period.
• Approximately 3 in 4 nitazene listings (78%) were offered as available for delivery to Australia.
• Isotonitazene, protonitazene and metonitazene were the most frequently identified nitazenes in the 12-month period.

Recommended citation

Man N, Sadaphale V, Barratt MJ, Bruno R, Sutherland R, Peacock A. Availability of nitazenes for purchase in Australia and internationally via cryptomarkets. Drug Trends Bulletin Series. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney; 2024. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/30235

Funding and copyright

Drug Trends is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Drug and Alcohol Program.

©NDARC, UNSW SYDNEY 2024

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DNeT bulletin - Availability of nitazenes for purchase in Australia and internationally via cryptomarkets