New synthetic opioid spreads across the Baltic states
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The widespread proliferation of nitazenes—a highly potent class of synthetic opioids—has emerged as a key factor behind the sharp increase in drug overdose deaths in Estonia in recent years, ERR.ee reports. The drug has gained a foothold across all three Baltic states and is far more prevalent in the region than elsewhere in Europe.
First developed in Switzerland in the late 1950s as painkillers, nitazenes have re-emerged decades later as dangerous narcotics contributing to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States. In Europe, their widespread misuse appears to be largely confined to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
“What’s peculiar about nitazenes is that their spread has been largely limited to the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. This is an anomaly no one has been able to adequately explain,” said Estonian State Prosecutor Raigo Aas.
Like fentanyl, nitazenes induce powerful and rapid intoxication. However, there is a critical distinction: individuals overdosing on nitazenes often respond poorly to emergency treatment, making interventions less effective.
Between 2021 and 2024, 332 people—mostly men—died of drug overdoses in Estonia. Prosecutor Aas directly links the increase in fatalities to nitazenes. “Nitazenes are responsible for half of all drug overdose deaths,” he said.
The substance began circulating in Estonia roughly three years ago and is typically sold in single doses packaged in small foil folds. A single dose sells for around €25, with prices generally ranging between €20 and €30.
Nitazenes are extremely potent even in small quantities, making accurate dosing critical. A deviation of just one milligram can trigger an overdose and prove fatal.
The drug is smuggled into Estonia from Latvia, primarily in powdered form, though sometimes as a concentrate—a pure substance that must be diluted and mixed with other agents. Most of the raw materials originate from China or India.
