Deaths from synthetic opioids in Scotland reach record-high

Deaths from synthetic opioids in Scotland have reached the highest level on record, according to data.

Public Health Scotland also revealed that drug-related harms were higher between June and August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, but remained lower than in 2023.

“Significant” shifts in the illegal drug dealing market have also been observed.

“The changing profile of drugs contributes to a very high likelihood of sudden, localised spikes of severe harms,” the report said.

The latest Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report was published by PHS on Tuesday.

It found “significant” shifts in the last few months, with detections of synthetic nitazene-type opioids in deaths reaching their highest level.

Nitazenes are a group of potent synthetic opioids that can be “hundreds of times more potent than heroin”.

It is most commonly found as an unexpected contaminant in drugs sold as heroin, benzodiazepines and oxycodone, and PHS said the drugs are now widely detected across Scotland, and poses a “high risk of overdose, hospitalisation and death”.

At the same time, cocaine was the most frequently reported drug across treatment and toxicology data; and the PHS said a new street benzodiazepine has emerged.

The term “street benzos” refers to benzodiazepines that are illicitly produced or not licensed for medical use in the UK.

In recent months, PHS has reported a steady increase in the recovery of clonazolam, which is said to be more potent than other street benzos.

A new street benzodiazepine, ethylbromazolam, has also emerged.

“There is a risk that people who use drugs are at increased risk of overdose and death if ethylbromazolam, a sedating and emergent benzodiazepine, establishes itself in the Scottish market,” the report said.

“There remains an urgent need for evidence-based benzodiazepine harm reduction and treatment support interventions to be delivered at scale. These should be available for community and prison settings.”

The report also found that contamination of drugs with toxic substances is both “common and widespread”.

PHS said that over half of the 173 Scottish samples submitted for testing to the Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances (WEDINOS) did not solely contain the intended purchase.

PHS said there is an “urgent need” to improve Scotland’s ability to respond to polysubstance use and to establish accessible drug checking services across the country.

“A system-wide approach that prevents drug harms and supports people affected to access treatment, care and recovery support remains critical,” the report said.