– That he would die from this, I never, ever thought that, says Lene Rexten. On 23 September, the emergency services went to an apartment in the center of Halden. There, three men in their 20s were found unconscious. One of them was Lene’s son. While two others were taken to hospital, 25-year-old Oskar Ouren was pronounced dead at the scene. Later it became clear that Oskar had taken metonitaze. – It is very likely that they did not know what they were taking, says Lene. Oskar Ouren was proud to have received the beret after being on training with the Home Guard in September. Photo: Private Professionals describe the substance as extremely dangerous. It can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine. – It takes so little to have a strong effect. Nitazens are low-dose, and serious effects can occur even at low doses, says Anita von Krogh. She is a senior adviser at Giftinformation. Oskar’s mother has previously told about her son’s death in Halden Arbeiderblad. – Young people who only get intoxicated periodically do not have the experience to know what type of drug they are taking. They also don’t know that what they take may contain something other than what they think they have bought, says Lene. Oskar was a very cheerful and active boy, says mother Lene Rexten. Photo: Julie Helene Günther / news Four deaths The police in Norway have made nine seizures of the very dangerous substance, which can be linked to four overdose deaths. – It is a high proportion compared to the number of seizures, so there is every reason to warn against these drugs, says section leader for drug analysis in Kripos Kari Frey Solvik. Today, Nitazener is often sold as other opioids, writes Rusoplysningen. Tablets that the police secured after an overdose death in Sunnmøre. They contain etonitazepine, which is a type of nitazene. Photo: Kripos So far this year, the Customs Agency has made seven seizures of nitazene. – These substances are dangerous to life. We have never made as many seizures as we have in recent months. We see this as fraught with concern, says head of section at the Customs Agency, Sondre Hammerstad. Last year there were a total of 321 overdose deaths in Norway, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Overdose: What can you do? Call an ambulance: 113. Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation: 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths. Give naloxone nasal spray (antidote) if you have it. For strong opioids, several bottles may be necessary. Continue CPR until the ambulance arrives, or the person is breathing normally. Source: Helsenorge.no These are the symptoms The pulse drops and breathing weakens, sometimes this can lead to cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest. Blue nails and blue lips are caused by insufficient access to oxygen in the blood. Other symptoms can be nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps and muscle contractions. Source: Helsenorge.no How to prevent Do not inject alone. Smoke is safer than injection. Dividing the dose reduces the risk of overdose .Mixing different substances increases the risk of overdose. After an overdose, the risk of a new one increases. After three to eight days without a drug, the tolerance is at the same level as the first time one took an opioid. Source: Helsenorge.no – Very happy in life Nine days before Oskar died, he came home from his first Home Guard exercise. He was studying and had just bought his first apartment. Lene Rexten tells of a very cheerful and active boy with his whole life ahead of him. – The fact that he is dead changes the lives of dozens of people around him. Siblings, parents, grandparents, colleagues, girlfriends – everyone has had their lives changed forever. Riding a jet ski was one of the many activities Oskar was fond of. Photo: Privat In the winter, Oskar was active in snowboarding and alpine skiing. In the summer there was a lot of boating and jet skiing. – He was very happy with life. Lene Rexten hopes Oskar’s story can help prevent similar incidents in the future. Photo: Julie Helene Günther / news Impossible to calculate Nitazener acts as a pain reliever and sedative. Overdoses can cause problems with breathing, falling into a coma and problems with blood circulation. Ingestion of the drug can also lead to cardiac arrest. – Just handling it, for example by splitting it up and putting it in bags, can in the worst case cause serious reactions, says Anita von Krogh in Poison Information. Nitazenes can be dangerous even when handling the substance. Photo: Tolletaten Nitazens are so strong that it is very difficult to calculate the correct amount without professional equipment. – It is very difficult for people to know how much they should take to get the drug effect they are looking for. It is easy to overdose, says von Krogh. Just touching the substance can be dangerous, explains Anita von Krogh, senior advisor in Poison Information. One hundred times stronger than morphine, Nitazen is available in liquid form, as eye drops, powder, nasal spray or capsules with powder inside. It is impossible to know whether what you have in front of you contains nitazene, according to Poison information. Scientists warn of a very high overdose risk. Studies show that the strongest variants can be up to a hundred times more potent than morphine. There is every reason to warn against consuming the drug, says Kari Frey Solvik in Kripos. – Even if you know what it is, the degree of strength can be different than you think. Users who think they are buying heroin or fentanyl may end up with nitazene without realizing it. It takes very little before it becomes serious. It is almost impossible for ordinary people to calculate a non-lethal dose of nitazene, says Kari Frey Solvik in Kripos. Photo: Kripos Warns others When Oskar Ouren was buried on 12 October, Immanuel’s church in Halden was filled to the brim. Family, friends and former work colleagues were present to say a final goodbye. Oskar was very fond of his family, says mum Lene. Photo: Private Lene Rexten hopes that her son’s death will cause others to think twice before accepting drugs they do not know what they contain. – He only wanted to do the things he wanted to do in life. But he doesn’t have the opportunity to do that now, because he made the wrong choice. I don’t want other young people to do that.
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The mother of Oskar Ouren warns – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
