Presenter warns new synthetic opioids are reshaping the illicit drug supply, cites United Nations report

There are new synthetic drugs on the streets that can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin, the presenter said.

According to the recorded segment, traffickers are creating novel synthetic opioids to evade regulations and hide from detection, and experts warn the growth of these compounds could permanently change illicit drug use and its harms. The presenter cited a new United Nations report documenting the shift from plant-based opioids to a rapidly expanding set of synthetic compounds.

The segment said the illicit market is diversifying rapidly: "The explosion of new synthetic drugs has exponentially diversified the illicit drug supply," the presenter said, and compared current trends with past decades. The presenter reported that in the 1990s there were about one-fifth as many types of drugs found in seizures as in 2024, and that in 2024, for the first time, 118 new psychoactive substances were reported.

The presenter said traffickers are modifying molecules and producing new formulations — naming fentanyl, nitazenes and orphines — to avoid regulatory controls and detection methods. "They hope new forms of fentanyl, nitazenes, and orphines will be used as alternatives to heroin," the presenter said.

To address the rise, the segment relayed experts' recommendations for a balanced response that includes prevention, prioritized access to treatment, disruption of criminal trafficking networks and international cross-border cooperation. "To address the problem, experts are calling for a balanced approach that invests in prevention, prioritizes treatment, and disrupts criminal trafficking networks. International cross-border solutions are essential to keep people safe," the presenter said.

The recorded segment did not report specific policy actions or votes; it summarized the United Nations report's assessment and experts' public-health-oriented recommendations. The segment concluded by urging international cooperation and stronger prevention and treatment efforts as central responses to the growing threat from novel synthetic opioids.