Taylor Bill Aims to Improve Response to Nitazene Overdoses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) introduced the Nitazene Response Act, which will provide nationwide guidance to improve life-saving nitazene overdose response efforts. 

“Being 10 to 40 times more potent than fentanyl, nitazenes have slipped relatively unnoticed into Ohio and are endangering our communities," said Congressman Taylor. “We must get dangerous drugs like these off our streets and ensure first responders have the most up-to-date information about nitazenes to inform their life-saving overdose response efforts.”

The Nitazene Response Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue evidence-based clinical guidelines for responding to nitazene overdoses. This guidance would contain a description of best practices for emergency departments, hospitals, and rural volunteer emergency medical services systems responding to suspected nitazene overdoses. 

Background:

Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids that can be 10 to 40 times stronger than fentanyl and hundreds of times more potent than heroin. Initially developed in the 1950s as an experimental alternative to morphine, nitazenes were ultimately determined to be too powerful and dangerous for medical use. Since 2019, nitazenes have emerged in the U.S. drug supply and are growing in prevalence, both across the nation and the globe. Cheap and powerful nitazenes have been increasingly discovered mixed with other opioids, stimulants, or benzodiazepines in the U.S. to extend the supply of a drug.

Reporting by state and local forensic drug laboratories of the National Forensic Laboratory Information System showed a 5x increase in nitazenes across the U.S. since 2020. From 2020 to 2023, the number of yearly nitazene deaths in Ohio rose from 3 to 77. Most discovered nitazenes have been shipped to the U.S. from adversaries like China, making the emerging nitazene crisis both a public health and national security concern. 

When an individual is having a nitazene-involved overdose, their symptoms present similarly to other types of opioid overdoses. However, because nitazenes are so strong, sometimes it can take several rounds of naloxone and prolonged reversal efforts to revive someone. The Nitazene Response Act will provide needed clarity for responders to ultimately save lives. 

The full bill text of this bill is available here. 

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