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HARRISBURG -- The state Department of Health is temporarily scheduling nitazenes as a Class I controlled substance, effective Saturday, July 19.
Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids that can be more powerful than fentanyl. The presence of nitazenes in the state's illicit drug supply has been increasing since 2019 and has been a contributing factor in 45 deaths in Pennsylvania since 2023.
"Substance use has taken the lives of far too many Pennsylvanians, and the Shapiro Administration is doing everything in its power to lower the number of people experiencing drug overdoses," said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. "Scheduling nitazenes, which have no acceptable medical use, as Class I substances provides law enforcement with the authority to crack down on its possession and distribution in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, our focus remains on developing strategies that help connect people with substance use disorder with treatment and other resources."
While the Department of Health is taking steps to permanently schedule nitazenes as a Class I drug, it is temporarily scheduling the drug in the interim. State law allows the department to temporarily schedule a given drug for a two-year period.
The notice to temporarily add nitazenes to the list of Schedule I drugs under Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday, July 19, when the action will immediately take effect.
Placing a substance in Schedule I makes it illegal for individuals to possess, distribute and manufacture the substance under Pennsylvania law.
Additionally, this step is in alignment with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who also determined that it was necessary to schedule the nitazene class of compounds as Schedule I substances in the Controlled Substances Act to avoid an imminent and continued hazard to public safety because these substances:
– Have high potential for abuse;
– Have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States;
– Lack accepted safety for use under medical supervision; and
– Have been responsible for numerous deaths.
Because nitazene is a synthetic opioid, an opioid-reversal medication like naloxone should be administered in instances where signs of an overdose are present.