• Home
  • News
  • Drug warning – Fake Xanax tablets found to contain strong opioid in Queensland
A red triangle with an exclamation mark

Drug warning – Fake Xanax tablets found to contain strong opioid in Queensland

May 12, 2023

There have been two recent deaths in Queensland related to the use of fake Xanax tablets. The counterfeit tablets contain protonitazene (a potent opioid) together with bromazolam (a novel benzodiazepine). Protonitazene is a very strong opioid that works like heroin or fentanyl and can produce life threatening respiratory depression in small amounts. Testing of different tablets from the same bottle showed varying levels of protonitazene. People who use counterfeit Xanax should watch out for opioid effects including pin prick pupils, slow breathing, skin turning blue or grey. Naloxone can help reverse opioid overdose, and should be recommended for anyone who uses counterfeit Xanax.

Click here to find out how to get access to naloxone

Click here to read the full Queensland Health alert

inherits Umbraco.Web.Macros.PartialViewMacroPage