02/04/2026
Be aware of two emerging illicit drugs
Fentanyl seems to be getting most of the press these days, but the Drug Enforcement Administration has asked us to warn the public about an emerging threat posed by nitazenes and bromazolam in illicit drugs entering the United States.
Nitazenes are synthetic opioids similar to fentanyl but can match or surpass the potency of fentanyl. When combined with fentanyl, the effects of both drugs are compounded, which significantly increases the chances of a fatal overdose. Similar to other synthetic opioids, nitazenes can only be properly identified in a sample after laboratory testing. Users will not realize they are buying nitazenes until it is too late.
While nitazenes are a dangerous class of synthetic substances, the current threat is relatively small compared to fentanyl, which dominates the U.S. opioid market. Since January 2020, DEA forensic laboratories have analyzed 1,048 drug exhibits that contained some type of nitazene. During the same time frame, by comparison, DEA has analyzed approximately 36,000 fentanyl powder exhibits and 24,000 fentanyl tablet exhibits.
Chemical suppliers, mainly from overseas, introduce new nitazenes or analogues when the currently used ones become riskier to produce due to regulatory actions and drug scheduling, or when users look for novel substances that are not yet illegal. Nitazenes are most likely being shipped as finished substances in small amounts in mail parcels from vendors in China to distributors or end users in the United States.
Bromazolam, most commonly used as an active ingredient in counterfeit Xanax tablets, is also used as an adulterant for fentanyl. Bromazolam and other benzodiazepines act on nonopioid neuroreceptors in the brain, which can complicate overdose reversal measures, according to the National Institutes of Health. Bromazolam may be added to fentanyl because its sedative effect on other neuroreceptors gives users the perception of a longer high, according to the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education. Unlike other benzodiazepine class medications, bromazolam has never been approved for medical use in the United States or any other country.
Of the 1,400 DEA drug exhibits seized between January 2019 and January 2025, 260 exhibits were powder that contained fentanyl and bromazolam and 15 exhibits were counterfeit tablets that contained fentanyl and bromazolam.
Bromazolam abused in the United States is most likely supplied by overseas drug vendors. As of January 2025, an open web search returned the websites of business-to-business platforms, where multiple foreign chemical suppliers offer to sell kilogram quantities of bromazolam powder. According to DEA reporting from 2024, a China-based vendor advertised bromazolam on the open web, communicated with customers through encrypted smartphone messaging applications, accepted cryptocurrency for payment, and delivered the bromazolam to U.S. customers through the U.S. Postal Service.
Being informed means being aware and the Elks Drug Awareness Commission is at the forefront of making our communities safer.
On behalf of the directors of the Elks DAP, we wish to extend to all of you a happy, and drug-free, new year.
