Britain is walking into an American opioid crisis

In 2023 , England and Wales recorded its highest-ever number of overdose deaths 5,448 deaths in total, an 11 per cent rise from previous year .

While fentanyl deaths have declined, registered fatalities involving nitazenes have soared from just one case in 2021 to 38 in 2022 and further to 52 in 2023 .

Policymakers must act urgently to counter this growing threat and prevent it from escalating into a public health disaster.