Synthetic opioids linked to spate of overdose deaths found in wastewater across Australia

Synthetic opioids a thousand times stronger than morphine and an animal sedative used to lace street drugs have been detected in Australia's wastewater.
The discovery has been described as a 'red flag' and comes as the deadly class of synthetic opioids – nitazines – claims dozens of lives in Australia.
Researchers tested 180 wastewater samples from 60 sites nationwide and detected five different nitazenes in 3-6% of samples.
These synthetic opioids have become one of the fastest-growing psychoactive substances in the world since emerging in the illicit market in the late 2010s.
The use of nitazenes, either intentional or not, has resulted in overdoses in Australia, with compounds sometimes mixed into illicit drugs such as heroin and ketamine as well as MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
The study of Australian wastewater collected from 60 sites over three days last August also found high rates of xylazine, a sedative used by vets on animals and not approved for human use in Australia.
It was detected in one in four samples.
'Given the potency of nitazenes and the health complications associated with xylazine, even low-level detections are a red flag,' the study's co-first author, University of South Australia academic Emma Keller, said on Monday.
The researchers developed a highly sensitive method to detect the substances in wastewater, providing a potentially vital early warning tool to health authorities.
'This is the first time a comprehensive suite of nitazene compounds and xylazine has been monitored in Australian wastewater,' co-first author Corbus Gerber said.
Dr Keller and Dr Gerber's method could be quickly updated to detect new derivatives as they emerge. That would be an essential capability as drug manufacturers continue to tweak chemical structures to evade legislation, the university said.
The research was published on 22 April in the latest issue of peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
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One funder was the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, which is among several public authorities alarmed at the surging use of nitazenes.
Since 2021, nitazenes have been detected in every state and territory, and have been linked to at least 23 overdose deaths in Victoria and seven in South Australia alone.
A coroner in recent weeks concluded four people, one as young as 17, who died in the same Melbourne house in June 2024 had overdosed on cocaine laced with nitazenes.
Health authorities in New South Wales and South Australia have issued multiple urgent warnings about nitazenes being sold as black-market oxycodone or other substances.
Customs officials intercepted more than 60 imports of the killer group of drugs in 2023 and 2024, largely originating from Hong Kong, the UK and Canada.
Australian federal police have described nitazenes 'like playing Russian roulette' with lives.

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Spectator

a day ago

• Spectator

Is AI eating your brain?

Do you remember long division? I do, vaguely – I certainly remember mastering it at school: that weird little maths shelter you built, with numbers cowering inside like fairytale children, and a wolf-number at the door, trying to eat them (I had quite a vivid imagination as a child). Then came the carnage as the wolf got in – but also a sweet satisfaction at the end. The answer! You'd completed the task with nothing but your brain, a pen, and a scrap of paper. You'd thought your way through it. You'd done something, mentally. You were a clever boy. I suspect 80 to 90 per cent of universities will close within the next ten years Could I do long division now? Honestly, I doubt it. I've lost the knack. But it doesn't matter, because decades ago we outsourced and off-brained that job to machines – pocket calculators – and now virtually every human on earth carries a calculator in their pocket, via their phones. Consequently, we've all become slightly dumber, certainly less skilled, because the machines are doing all the skilful work of boring mathematics. Long division is, of course, just one example. The same has happened to spelling, navigation, translation, even the choosing of music. Slowly, silently, frog-boilingly, we are ceding whole provinces of our minds to the machine. What's more, if a new academic study is right, this is about to get scarily and dramatically worse (if it isn't already worsening), as the latest AI models – from clever Claude Opus 4 to genius Gemini 2.5 Pro – supersede us in all cerebral departments. The recent study was done by the MIT Media Lab. The boffins in Boston apparently strapped EEG caps to a group of students and set them a task: write short essays, some using their own brains, some using Google, and some with ChatGPT. The researchers then watched what happened to their neural activity. The results were quite shocking, though not entirely surprising: the more artificial intelligence you used, the more your actual intelligence sat down for a cuppa. Those who used no tools at all lit up the EEG: they were thinking. Those using Google sparkled somewhat less. And those relying on ChatGPT? Their brains dimmed and flickered like a guttering candle in a draughty church. It gets worse still. The ChatGPT group not only produced the dullest prose – safe, oddly samey, you know the score – but they couldn't even remember what they'd written. When asked to recall their essays minutes later, 78 per cent failed. Most depressingly of all, when you took ChatGPT away, their brain activity stayed low, like a child sulking after losing its iPad. The study calls this 'cognitive offloading', which sounds sensible and practical, like a power station with a backup. What it really means is: the more you let the machine think for you, the harder it becomes to think at all. And this ain't just theory. The dulling of the mind, the lessening need for us to learn and think, is already playing out in higher education. New York Magazine's Intelligencer recently spoke to students from Columbia, Stanford, and other colleges who now routinely offload their essays and assignments to ChatGPT. They do this because professors can no longer reliably detect AI-generated work; detection tools fail to spot the fakes most of the time. One professor is quoted thus: 'massive numbers of students are going to emerge from university with degrees, and into the workforce, who are essentially illiterate.' In the UK the situation's no better. A recent Guardian investigation revealed nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of AI-assisted cheating across British universities last year – more than double the previous year, and that's just the ones who got caught. One student admitted submitting an entire philosophy dissertation written by ChatGPT, then defending it in a viva without having read it. The result? Degrees are becoming meaningless, and the students themselves – bright, ambitious, intrinsically capable – are leaving education maybe less able than when they entered. The inevitable endpoint of all this, for universities, is not good. Indeed, it's terminal. Who is going to take on £80k of debt to spend three years asking AI to write essays that are then marked by overworked tutors using AI – so that no actual human does, or learns, anything? Who, in particular, is going to do this when AI means there aren't many jobs at the end, anyhow? I suspect 80 to 90 per cent of universities will close within the next ten years. The oldest and poshest might survive as finishing schools – expensive playgrounds where rich kids network and get laid. But almost no one will bother with that funny old 'education' thing – the way most people today don't bother to learn the viola, or Serbo-Croat, or Antarctic kayaking. Beyond education, the outlook is nearly as bad – and I very much include myself in that: my job, my profession, the writer. Here's a concrete example. Last week I was in the Faroe Islands, at a notorious 'beauty spot' called Trælanípa – the 'slave cliff'. It's a mighty rocky precipice at the southern end of a frigid lake, where it meets the sea. The cliff is so-called because this is the place where Vikings ritually hurled unwanted slaves to their grisly deaths. Appalled and fascinated, I realised I didn't know much about slavery in Viking societies. It's been largely romanticised away, as we idealise the noble, wandering Norsemen with their rugged individualism. Knowing they had slaves to wash their undercrackers rather spoils the myth. So I asked Claude Opus 4 to write me a 10,000-word essay on 'the history, culture and impact of slavery in Viking society.' The result – five minutes later – was not far short of gobsmacking. Claude chose an elegant title ('Chains of the North Wind'), then launched into a stylish, detailed, citation-rich essay. If I had stumbled on it in a library or online, I would have presumed it was the product of a top professional historian, in full command of the facts, taking a week or two to write. But it was written by AI. In about the time it will take you to read this piece. This means most historians are doomed (like most writers). This means no one will bother learning history in order to write history. This means we all get dumber, just as the boffins in Boston are predicting. I'd love to end on a happy note. But I'm sorry, I'm now so dim I can't think of one. So instead, I'm going to get ChatGPT to fact-check this article – as I head to the pub.

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

• Daily Mirror

Man, 55, diagnosed with dementia after doctor noticed one sign before diagnosis

Jim Rogers, 58, was living and working in Australia when he started to develop symptoms of the incurable neurological condition early-onset dementia after his doctor noticed one sign A simple query from a doctor about his mobile set a dad-of-three on the road to a dementia diagnosis. Jim Rogers, 58, initially from the UK but residing and working in Australia, was passing on his expertise in house renovations when he began showing signs of the untreatable neurological condition. ‌ Colleagues and Jim's partner, Tyler, first spotted tell-tale symptoms which led him to consult his heart specialist, suspecting work or stress may be at fault. ‌ However, during his visit, it was his cardiologist who noted a worrying habit indicating something more serious, reports Surrey Live. He shared with ABC News: "One day I went to my cardiologist and she was getting a bit p***ed off with me because my phone was constantly going off. "She was like: 'Can you put it on silent?' And I had this blank where I couldn't even work it out. And it was her that said to me: 'Are you experiencing problems like this?' "So, she then referred me to a memory clinic. They analyse all sorts of things about the way you perceive information, they sent me for brain scans, they do all sorts of stuff. They asked me to have an appointment with the neurologist." Jim's subsequent tests led to a formal diagnosis of young-onset dementia, and he has been dedicated to increasing awareness of the condition since. Jim, diagnosed with dementia at the age of 55, suspects he lived with symptoms for up to two years before he received an official diagnosis ‌ Reflecting on the moment when he and his husband Tyler grappled with the diagnosis, Jim opened up about the initial shock. He recalled: "I think I was having symptoms for a couple of years until I actually got my diagnosis. ‌ "I looked at Ty and he was clearly very upset and so I knew it was heavy, but I didn't know much about Alzheimer's. I just thought it was an old person's disease." Jim sharing his story came just days after Australia greenlit a new medication for early-stage Alzheimer's, a drug called Kisunla. Approved by the Australian medical authorities, Kisunla stands out as a beacon of hope albeit with cautionary advice from experts such as Professor Christopher Rowe who spoke to The Guardian regarding the drug's potential limitations. ‌ He said: "We actually estimate that only about 10 to 20 percent of people with dementia will be suitable for the drug, but that is still a huge number given there's 400,000 people in Australia with dementia, and probably 40,000 diagnosed every year." Jim's candid disclosure follows shortly after this significant development in treating Alzheimer's Disease in its early stages, offering a glimpse of optimism amidst challenges surrounding treatment eligibility and costs – for those who do qualify, they may face an $80,000 bill (just over £38,000) for the therapy. The NHS lists several common early symptoms of dementia to watch out for on their website. They include: ‌ memory loss difficulty concentrating finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word being confused about time and place mood changes The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which has its own set of symptoms, including: memory problems, such as regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces asking questions repetitively increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require organisation and planning becoming confused in unfamiliar environments difficulty finding the right words difficulty with numbers and/or handling money in shops becoming more withdrawn or anxious For further details about dementia and for assistance and support, visit the NHS website.

Daily Record

2 days ago

• Daily Record

Two stress symptoms you can see in your bedroom and bathroom

There are simple ways to fix them Stress is an increasingly common aspect of life for many in modern times, with challenges like the cost-of-living crisis, workplace pressure and the duties of parenting. For some, high stress levels are a constant companion, making cortisol – often referred to as the 'stress hormone' – a focal point of discussion amidst rising tensions. Google has indicated a whopping 557% surge in searches for 'What supplements lower cortisol?' from 2023 to 2024, highlighting public concern over stress management. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands and not only manages the body's response to stress but also influences the sleep-wake cycle and other important functions, reports Surrey Live. ‌ Jane Ollis, a medical biochemist and founder of neurotech venture MindSpire, said: "We need cortisol to perform and it's natural to have it, particularly in the mornings. ‌ "It becomes bad when we keep triggering the release of it during the day and our body loses its sensitivity to it – which is when chronic health conditions can occur." The symptoms of cortisol irregularity Irregular sleep patterns "The first symptom is often irregularities in our sleep," points out Ollis. "An inability to get to sleep or stay asleep – therefore leaving us feeling fatigued is a huge indicator for some people that their cortisol is out of balance." Weight gain The phenomenon of 'stress eating' or 'comfort eating' has struck a chord with many. A research study from 2001, which included 59 healthy women, linked higher cortisol levels to an uptick in appetite. ‌ "Higher cortisol levels can increase our appetite, potentially leading to weight gain," shares Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and author of The Anxiety Solution. Anxiety, irritability, or mood swings Alongside cravings, erratic emotions might hint at cortisol imbalance, according to Ollis: "If you begin to notice you're feeling stressed or irritated in situations you usually wouldn't feel this in, it may also be an indicator that your cortisol levels are a little haywire,". It can strip away one's usual patience, making everyday challenges seem unusually taxing. ‌ Brotheridge further notes: "High stress levels can worsen mental health conditions like anxiety and depression." Digestive issues Chronic stress often wreaks havoc on digestive health. "Whenever we're chronically stressed, blood flow is diverted away from digestion, leading to gut imbalances, bloating or worsening symptoms of conditions like IBS," Brotheridge explains, whilst Ollis mentions how stress can manifest as stomach pain. ‌ Combatting the effects of stress Prioritise sleep Brotheridge urges us to resist the lure of late-night scrolling, highlighting the benefits of disconnecting from screens before sleep. "Aim to go to bed at the same time every night, avoid phones and heavy meals in the two hours before bed, and create a calming nighttime routine to support deeper, more restful sleep," she advises. ‌ Practice deep breathing and mindfulness And don't overlook mindful breathing and other contemplative practices. Ollis advocates the use of breathwork as a tool for stress reduction, highlighting its clinically proven benefits. "Breathwork can regulate your stress response and there is clinical evidence showing how powerful it is to use your body to calm down the mind," she explains. ‌ She suggests a simple breathing technique: "You can use a breathing pattern of four breaths out on your exhale and do this for at least five minutes. It's a simple technique that anyone can do, anywhere." Get outside as soon as you wake up Stepping outside first thing in the morning is another tip from Ollis. "The first thing you should do when you wake up is go straight outside," Ollis advises. "It's really important to get sunlight into the back of your eye and it helps regulate your circadian rhythms which will help your cortisol levels over the whole day." ‌ Movement is key to managing stress, with research indicating that even short bursts of cardio can make a significant difference. "Never underestimate the power of movement," Ollis asserts. "Our bodies are designed to move and are much happier when they do so. Even if you don't want to go to the gym, you get out and move around someway." Eat a balanced diet Brotheridge speaks on the importance of diet in regulating stress levels. "When we consume sugary or processed foods, our blood sugar rapidly spikes, followed by a sharp crash," Brotheridge notes. "In response, the body releases cortisol to stabilise blood sugar levels. Aim to focus on whole foods, protein, healthy fats, and fibre to stabilise blood sugar levels." Set boundaries and reduce stressors "If you're overwhelmed, think about the 'three D's'. What can you delete (ie, say no to), delegate or defer?" Brotheridge suggests. "Have a plan for switching off from work or social media. Will you put your laptop in a drawer at 6pm, turn off social media notifications or delete your work email app from your phone?"