4-Bromofentanyl (para-bromofentanyl) is an
opioidanalgesic drug that is an
analog of
fentanyl and has been sold as a
designer drug,[1] first identified in Pennsylvania in the US in March 2020.[2]
Effects
The effects of
fentanyl analogs are similar to those of fentanyl itself, which include potent
sedation and
analgesia, along with side effects such as
itching,
nausea and potentially serious
respiratory depression, which can be life-threatening. Fentanyl analogs have killed thousands of people throughout the world since the most recent resurgence in use began in Estonia in the early 2000s, and novel derivatives continue to appear.[3] A new wave of fentanyl analogues and associated deaths began in around 2014 in the US, and have continued to grow in prevalence; especially since 2016 these drugs have been responsible for hundreds of overdose deaths every week.[4]
Legal status
4-Bromofentanyl is a
Schedule I controlled drug in the United States under the fentanyl analogue provisions introduced in 2018, despite not being specifically listed in its own right.[5]
^"Bromofentanyl Analytical Report"(PDF). Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) Discovery. Willow Grove, PA: The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE). 17 December 2020.
^Mounteney J, Giraudon I, Denissov G, Griffiths P (July 2015). "Fentanyls: Are we missing the signs? Highly potent and on the rise in Europe". The International Journal on Drug Policy. 26 (7): 626–631.
doi:
10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.04.003.
PMID25976511.