The HSE has confirmed the discovery of a second batch of drugs associated with an overdose situation was identified as heroin with traces of nitazene.
Over the last 24 hours, it's been informed about an additional 8 ambulance callouts associated with overdose presentations.
This brings the total number of reported overdoses since last Thursday to 54.
The HSE continues to advise extra vigilance at this time and is very concerned about a new batch of brown powder circulating in the Dublin City Centre region.
It's reminding drug users that naloxone is an essential tool in reversing overdose associated with opioid drugs, including synthetic opioids such as nitazenes.
It's also reminding people to be extra careful, avoid using new drugs, new batches of drugs or buying from new sources, while adding that it's safer not to use the drug at all.
Dublin City Council have also been issuing warnings on the matter, and have erected signs across the region informing people of the dangers associated with the batch of heroin, and asking people to be cautious.
We have warnings throughout Dublin tonight, stay safe and look out for eachother#harmreduction pic.twitter.com/zlCFS3x9oG
— HSE Drugs.ie (@drugsdotie) November 10, 2023
Lord Mayor, Dáithí de Róiste says the situation is very worrying, because drug users often don't have a choice where they buy the substance from.
"If we look at what's happening from a worldwide drugs perspective, the supply of heroin is actually drying up. You look, since the Taliban has come into Afghanistan, they've been pretty much wiping out what's out there at the moment, which poses huge dangers maybe twelve, eighteen months down the line, when we're going to see the proliferation of synthetics right across Dublin, and that really really worries me."
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