Today, Public Health Scotland has published its Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report, highlighting a changing and increasingly unpredictable drug supply and the urgent need for Scotland’s response to keep pace.
It finds that from March to May 2026:
- There was a 4% decrease in suspected drug deaths, compared to the previous quarter.
- Almost half of Scottish samples submitted to Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances (WEDINOS) did not solely contain the intended purchase.
- The drug supply was contaminated and unpredictable, with the presence of nitazene-type opioids, new benzodiazepines and medetomidine.
- Cocaine continued to be the most commonly reported main drug in specialist drug treatment assessments, post-mortem toxicology, ASSIST hospital toxicology and NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside drug treatment testing.
While any reduction in suspected drug deaths is welcome, these figures still represent too many lives lost and show that we are not seeing the scale of change that is desperately needed.
Following the publication of the April RADAR report, we called for the planned drug checking services to be opened as a matter of urgency. Four months on, they are still not operating. We recognise that introducing these services requires new equipment, processes and expertise, and that implementation takes time. However, every month that passes means people are missing out on vital information that could help them make safer, more informed decisions and reduce their risk of harm.
These delays reflect a wider pattern of slow implementation of evidence-based responses. It took too long to open our first safer drug consumption facility, despite the overwhelming international evidence supporting their effectiveness, and we have yet to establish further facilities elsewhere in Scotland. Today’s RADAR report also highlights ongoing concerns around cocaine-related harms, yet we are still unable to provide safer inhalation equipment to people who need it.
The presence of nitazene-type opioids, new benzodiazepines and medetomidine, reported by RADAR, is a further reminder that the drug market will continue to change and evolve. Our response must be flexible and able to adapt quickly – we cannot allow emerging substances to become another reason for action to be delayed.
As stated in our manifesto, we want to see the new Scottish Government:
- Lead with courage, evidence and compassion by expanding and mainstreaming harm reduction.
- Put people first by embedding rights, tackling stigma and placing living and lived experience at the heart of all policy decisions.
- Build a resilient, valued and sustainable workforce by ending short-term funding and supporting staff wellbeing.
- Take action now to protect the next generation – with long-term strategies that transcend parliamentary cycles.
- Decriminalise people who use drugs and ensure support, not punishment, is at the heart of our response.
Today, our thoughts are with the families, friends and communities of everyone who has lost their life to drugs.
We cannot accept this pace of change. Following the election and publication of the new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan, we hope the First Minister and Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs will work collaboratively – across portfolios, with support and treatment services and the third sector, and alongside people with living and lived experience – to deliver a response that is faster, bolder and driven by evidence.