New synthetic opioid complicates public health response to overdoses

A synthetic opioid up to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl is scrambling the public health response to the addiction crisis in a growing number of U.S. cities.

The big picture: Nitazine comes in powder, pill and liquid form and requires time-consuming lab work to trace. Often laced into substances that users think is fentanyl or heroin, it's potentially lethal or can cause a more severe onset of withdrawal symptoms.