Fears Britain is ‘fertile’ for influx of deadly opioids

Addiction to prescription drugs like fentanyl has swept America and is behind many overdoses.

Experts now say Britain is “fertile” ground for the powerful ­synthetic opioid as heroin supplies fall in the wake of a Taliban poppy ban in Afghanistan.

The Daily Express understands ministers are drawing up emergency plans in case criminal gangs begin to sell fentanyl directly, or mix it with drugs already sold in the UK, such as heroin or cocaine.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “We’re seeing emerging signs of fentanyl coming into the drug supply market.

“I think it’s inevitable, personally, as the price of heroin will go up and supply goes down.”

Meanwhile, drug addiction is ravaging communities in the US, especially San Francisco, California.

Office for National Statistics figures show there were 58 fentanyl deaths in England and Wales in 2021 – fewer than 0.1 per 100,000 people. But the death rate from fentanyl in the US is a massive 25 per 100,000.

Addicts the Express talked to in San Francisco included Bonnie, from East Bay, who is now reduced to living on the streets – directly opposite a police station – with other users.

The Social Market Foundation think-tank warns that an opium poppy ban in Afghanistan will spark a fall in the amount of heroin being sold in Britain.

Dealers will then likely switch to “more dangerous products such as fentanyl and nitazenes”.

Jake Shepherd, of the SMF, said: “The ground appears fertile for more potent products entering the market. There is already some concern around the increased availability of new, unusually strong, opioids, some of which contain fentanyl, in circulation in Britain.

“At the same time, evolving trade dynamics are poised to facilitate an increased influx of synthetic opiates across UK borders.”

Mr Shepherd added: “The Taliban has recently prohibited opium ­production in Afghanistan, which accounts for around 80% of the world’s supply.

“Before, 95% of heroin found in Britain came from Afghanistan. If Afghan cultivation decreases, it only seems logical there will be a product vacuum in the UK, a gap in the market for similar substances.

“Once the heroin supply dries up, dealers may switch to more dangerous products such as fentanyl and nitazenes.

“Should they displace existing substances, the American experience suggests synthetic opioids could prove difficult to get rid of.”

Because opioids are cheap to produce, dealers may see it as a way to increase their profits by cutting them into other drugs, including cocaine.

In the event of a fentanyl outbreak, options on the table include giving drug addicts “modest incentives” to kick their habits.

Guidance by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says it could include shopping vouchers, which could “increase with each additional, continuous period of abstinence”.

Health chiefs have been told naloxone, an emergency antidote used to counter heroin overdoses, should be more readily at hand for addicts to take home.

It says the kits should be obtainable “from a wider range of outlets, to people who might need it and are not in contact with treatment…this will be especially important if potent opioids return to any area”.

The guidance states they could be made available from pharmacies and hostels frequently used by homeless people.

Meanwhile, it says health officials must also go further to warn addicts drugs such as heroin are being contaminated with fentanyl.

The warning, sent to local authorities, said: “There are signs that synthetic opioids are being seen more often in local drug markets and there are concerns that they may become much more prevalent.

“Local councils and their partners should prepare for potent opioids appearing in their area, particularly in light of recent international experience.

“Potent synthetic opioids could be sought by people who use drugs, or might be unwittingly added to street heroin.”