Taliban’s Poppy Ban Raises Concerns of Nitazenes as Potential Heroin Substitute: Industry Expert

Harry Shapiro, director of Drugwise, discusses the Taliban’s possible disruption of the heroin supply chain in Afghanistan. He highlighted the looming risk of synthetic opioids taking the place of traditional heroin, underscoring the associated dangers, ease of production, and cost advantages for traffickers. Notably, Shapiro also points out that while the U.K. has seen relatively low Nitazene-related deaths to date, there is a recognition that this situation may evolve in the future.