Synthetic opioids are man-made drugs that mimic the effects of natural opioids (such as opium or heroin) but can be much more deadly.

Through RADAR, Scotland’s drug harms early warning system, Public Health Scotland identified a notable rise in the availability of new synthetic drugs like nitazenes, bromazolam, and xylazine, whose potency makes them particularly lethal. 

The annual report from the National Records of Scotland (August 2024) shows that there were 1,172 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2023; a 12 per cent increase on the previous year after two years of decreases.

Angela Parker national manager of Crimestoppers Scotland said: “Behind every drug death are friends and family coping with devastation and grief. Our charity wants to play our part in encouraging people to do the right thing and contact us 100 per cent anonymously about who is importing and where these toxic drug  are being manufactured and sold. Criminal gangs often target the most vulnerable in our communities, your information could help save lives.

“No one will ever know you contacted unless you tell them. We have never broken our guarantee of anonymity.”

Assistant chief constable Catriona Paton said: “Our officers work tirelessly in partnership to reduce substance harm as well as exploring solutions to help address the significant level of drug deaths in Scotland.

“We constantly monitor emerging drug trends and are aware of the increased prevalence of synthetic opioids and share information with partners to help keep our communities safe.”