Synthetic opioids hundreds of times stronger than heroin fuel Scotland's drug deaths
Synthetic opioids and cannabinoids, some hundreds of times stronger than heroin, are driving Scotland's drug death crisis higher.
Scotland already has Europe's highest drug death rate, and it is getting worse. In the past three years, organised crime has ramped up production of synthetic opioids like nitazenes and orphines.
Many are far more powerful than traditional heroin. Police have raided two suspected illegal drugs labs in the past 14 months.
In 2024, nitazenes alone were linked to 76 deaths, more than three times the number in 2023. On Wednesday, annual figures are expected to show drug deaths have risen again.
Experts say the new drugs are harder to track and harder to treat when someone overdoses. The European Union Drugs Agency recorded a new psychoactive substance emerging almost every week last year.
Why it mattersNew synthetic drugs are harder for scientists and hospitals to keep pace with, making overdose treatment more difficult and policy changes slower.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but watch for synthetic opioid labs or nitazenes arriving in Australian cities, as production spreads closer to consumer markets.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 d ago
