Warning issued after two deaths linked to dangerous pills sold in London

UK drug checking and harm reduction charity The Loop has issued a warning about a batch of pills circulating in London and linked to two recent deaths.

The round green and blue tablets are marked with “80” and testing has found them to be nitazenes, synthetic opioids that are approximately 50 to 500 times stronger than heroin, the Loop reported. The pills look like oxycodone and contain traces of isotonitazene with MDMA and ketamine. It’s unknown what the drugs were sold as. 

The “80” pills are connected to the “sudden deaths” of a 28-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman in Southall, west London, according to BBC News. “This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill,” a Met Police spokesperson said.

The Loop advises that signs of an overdose include “shallow or absent breathing, loud snoring or rasping, blue/grey lips or fingertips and loss of consciousness” and using nitazene test strips. They recommend carrying naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug often sold as a nasal spray branded Narcan.

London venues The Cause and XOYO have also shared statements to raise awareness about the dangerous tablets. “With several hospitalisations across multiple London venues, we strongly advise you don’t engage with it and warn your friends”, the Cause wrote.

The Loop has previously offered online harm reduction courses, including a series last summer that focused on music events and festivals. 

See the Loop’s recent warning in full.