28/09/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 28 September, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) announced that the EU Council has decided to subject cyclopropylfentanyl and methoxyacetylfentanyl, two synthetic opioids, to control measures. The member states have reported harmful effects linked to the use of these opioids. Like other opioid analgesics, the most serious acute risk resulting from their use is probably respiratory depression (which can lead to apnea, respiratory arrest and death). Available in the EU since at least June 2017, cyclopropylfentanyl has been detected in six member states. Sweden and the UK have reported 78 deaths linked to its use. Methoxyacetylfentanyl has been available since at least November 2016 and has been detected in 11 EU member states and Norway. Four EU member states (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the UK) have reported 13 deaths. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)