The impact of heroin illicit market in the framework of COVID 19 pandemic

We read with interest the commentary of Tittarelli et al1 on the current diffusion of higher-purity heroin in Italy and related rise of overdose cases1 . The author discussed not only recent increasing trend in drug purity, but also on the presence of adulterants rising drug toxicity2-11 and on the possible risk of the presence of new psychoactive substances as even more hazardous adulterants12. In the context of this commentary, some short remarks as to the impact of heroin illicit market in the framework of COVID 19 pandemic can be of interest. Indeed, within the extremely serious health emergency that we have been experiencing since the beginning of 2020, the rules set by the authorities during “lock down” have led to a significant drop in the street sale of psychotropic drugs. A scenario that opens up the hypothesis that drug users are turning to the illicit market present in the “dark web”, to obtain classic drugs such as cocaine, hashish or heroin. It is plausible that in a period of home confinement, habitual consumers of drugs of abuse no longer search for psychoactive substances stimulating socialization in recreational environments such as cocaine, amphetamines or designer drugs, but rather for compounds to be consumed in solitude to ease confinement anxiety such as tranquilizers (e.g. benzodiazepines) or narcotics (e.g. prescription or illicit opioids and heroin).