Opioids - The Know - Page 3

Filter alerts by

State or Territory

Drug Type

Date Range

Tramadol sold as MDMA caps

Yellow and green capsules that were acquired as ‘MDMA’ were tested and found to contain onlytramadol. What is tramadol? Tramadol is a synthetic opioid which is a central nervous system depressant/painkiller.It’s a very different substance from MDMA, which is a stimulant/empathogen. Combining tramadol with drugs that affect serotonin can cause serotonin toxicity, a seriousmedical emergency. This includes: Combining tramadol with

Read notification

Tramadol sold as oxycodone

What is it? Tramadol is a synthetic opioid that also affects serotonin and noradrenaline and acts like SNRI and SSRI antidepressants.While tramadol and oxycodone are both depressants, they are very different substances.Combining tramadol with drugs that affect serotonin can cause serotonin toxicity, a serious medical emergency. These include:– MDMA– Methamphetamine– Cathinones like mephedrone– Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, TCAs) Combining tramadol

Read notification

Heroin sold as alprazolam (Xanax)

The Victorian Pill Testing Service has identified a sample sold as alprazolam powder that in fact contained heroin, with no detectable benzodiazepines. This presents a high risk of unexpected sedation, respiratory depression, and overdose — especially for people who believe they are using a benzo. What is Heroin? Heroin is an opioid – a central nervous system depressant that slows

Read notification

First report of 5-cyano isotodesnitazene in Queensland

5-cyano-isotodesnitazene (isotocyanozene) has recently been found in toxicology and powder samples, in South-East Queensland. There is limited potency or toxicity data available on 5-cyano-isotodesnitazene globally as it a novel nitazene only recently detected for the first time in Australia. Nitazenes are very strong synthetic opioids that work like heroin or fentanyl and could produce life-threatening toxicity in small amounts. The

Read notification

Methylmethaqualone and flurofentanyl found in ‘opioid’ capsule

A capsule filled with an off-white powder expected to contain an unknown opioid was found to contain methylmethqualone and a fluorofentanyl. CanTEST has detected MMQ by itself previously (a Yellow Community Notice was issued in Nov 2024). Effects Methylmethqualone (MMQ) is an analogue of the more common methaqualone (MQ). It’s a quinazolone sedative hypnotic – which is a central nervous

Read notification

Isotocyanozene found in ‘benzo’ sample

A capsule filled with an off-white powder expected to contain an unknown benzo was found to contain the novel nitazene, isotocyanozene (5-cyano-isotodesnitazene). This is the second detection of isotocyanozene at a drug collection service in Australia, with the first being in late September 2025, also at CanTEST in Canberra. There is no readily available data on isotocyanozene globally. Effects The

Read notification