Will synthetic opioids become a bigger drug problem in Europe?
Recent overdoses and deaths in Europe linked to highly potent synthetic “nitazene” opioids is prompting growing concern that they could play a larger role in future drug related harm.
In this commentary for Brookings, NDRI Director Professor Paul Griffiths suggests that while heroin still dominates Europe’s opioid market and the availability of high potency synthetic opioids remains limited, they pose an increasing threat. In the longer term, we should expect synthetic opioids to play a growing role in drug problems in Europe.
“Highly potent synthetic opioids are now appearing on the European market – a development that demands a response, even if the scale of the problem remains relatively small in most countries compared to other classes of drugs,” Professor Griffiths writes.
“Based on the current drug situation, a stronger case can be made that other synthetic drugs, particularly stimulants, together with the unprecedented availability of cocaine, are more likely to drive increases in drug related harm in Europe in the short to medium term.
“Looking further ahead, and considering the cyclical nature of past opioid epidemics, it would be prudent to expect synthetic opioids to play a growing role in Europe’s drug market. Policymakers must remain vigilant for signs of increasing interest in this group of substances, particularly among younger-age cohorts or within other groups or settings not previously associated with their use.”
Click here to read the full commentary
Posted on: 5 May 2026
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