Key Points
- Those who bought unmarked yellow pills containing a dangerous drug are being urged to throw them out.
- The potentially lethal synthetic opiod, called metonitazene, has been linked to deaths overseas.
- The ACT Health released its first 'red alert' over the drug.
The ACT government has released the first ever 'red alert' over a drug detected through Australia's first fixed pill testing site.
The potent synthetic opioid called metonitazene was found in unmarked circular-shaped yellow tablets that were sold as oxycodone, often called oxy tablets - commonly used in painkiller medication.
People who may have unwittingly purchased the lethal drug, linked to deaths in New Zealand and the , are being urged to throw them out.
ACT Health said it is particularly concerned about the impacts of the drug being mixed with alcohol or other substances.
"The risk of overdose is increased for people who use drugs when they are alone, use drugs again after a break and when different drugs are mixed. Alcohol, benzos and opioids are very dangerous to combine," the ACT Health said in the .
"Any use of illicit drugs pose a risk to health. The unexpected effects of this particular substance could be extremely dangerous, which is why ACT Health has issued this alert."
How was the drug detected?
The counterfeit pills were detected after thy were submitted for testing at the free pill-testing service CanTEST.
Stephanie Stephens, acting CEO of Directions Health Services, said it is positive that the substance was detected before it caused any deaths from being ingested.
But she said there will need to be careful monitoring in all jurisdictions in Australia, particularly with the party and music festival season upon us when unmarked tablets could be in higher circulation.
"The importance of [pill testing sites] in identifying the drug coming into the market early is absolutely lifesaving," she told SBS News.
"We know that it (metonitazene) is circulating - and it has landed people in hospital overseas, including in New Zealand. It is a real health concern. Internationally, there has been deaths. We're hoping we don't end up in a similar situation."
She said it is the lethal nature of the lab-made drug - and how easily it can be slipped into street drugs - that has experts like her concerned.
Metonitazene falls within a group of illicit and potentially lethal synthetic opiods, known as nitazenes. Used in street drugs, nitazenes can be up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl, which in itself is 50 times more powerful than heroin.
NSW Health last week found in heroin that was leading to a higher level of hospitalisations in the Central Coast region of the state.
What are the warning signs of an overdose?
ACT Health said the overdose symptoms from consuming metonitazene include: slow breathing/snoring, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and skin turning blue or grey.
Ms Stephens said knowing how to respond in the event of an overdose.
"An overdose can be a complete loss of consciousness, respiratory depression - for instance people slowing their breath down to the point of snoring - skin turning blue or grey, and in the worst case scenario: death."
ACT Health is urging people who observe the warning signs of an overdose to call 000 and stay with the affected person until the ambulance arrives.
Importantly, those with the life-saving medicine naloxone are urged by ACT Health to use it to temporarily reverse the overdose from this type of lethal drug. People are still advised to still call 000, even after using naloxone.
Naloxone is available in the ACT from CanTEST, through the Civic and Woden Needle and Syringe Programs, over the counter at some pharmacies, or by contacting
How are police responding to the situation?
An ACT Policing spokesperson told SBS News anybody considering using illicit drugs should consider their safety and potential effect of the substance.
"ACT Policing supports harm minimisation initiatives such as pill testing and has been actively engaged with the ACT Government and other stakeholders on this issue," the spokesperson said.
"ACT Policing encourages anyone considering using illicit drugs to consider their own safety and how unknown substances may affect them."
CanTEST is Australia’s first fixed-site drug testing clinic, and offers offer free and confidential chemical analyses of illicit substances twice a week at a facility in Canberra's CBD.
The service launched in July, after two successful trials at in 2018 and 2019.
It comes after a series of drug-related deaths at festivals in Australia between 2016 and 2019. Coronial inquests into the deaths in NSW and Victoria led to the recommendation for pill testing to be trialled in more areas of Australia.
