The widespread arrival of powerful synthetic opioids in Estonia in recent years tripled overdose deaths; experts now worry about even stronger drugs entering the country.
Between 2018 and 2021, 30 to 40 people died from overdoses each year in Estonia. But in the past couple of years, that number has jumped to around 100 annually. Just a month ago, Katri Abel Ollo, a researcher at the National Institute for Health Development, remained cautiously hopeful that this year’s total might stay below 100 — but the situation has since changed.
As of the end of August, 57 people have died of drug overdoses in Estonia.
“New nitazenes are emerging, and alongside them we’re also finding other highly potent opioids in used syringes — specifically cyclo-clorfine and spiroclorfine. These are synthetic opioids that are three to four times stronger than fentanyl,” said Ollo.
These new substances have a shorter duration of effect. Where one dose used to last around seven hours, users now need to inject every few hours. What’s more, naloxone — the overdose-reversal drug distributed to drug users and their families — is no longer effective in all cases.
Read more: ERR.EE
