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 June to August 2026:
- There was a 28% decrease in suspected drug-related deaths.
- Half of Scottish samples submitted to Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances (WEDINOS) did not solely contain the intended purchase.
- 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.
Today, our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one to drug-related harm. To people who are worried about their drug use, or that of a loved one, please know that support is available.
Kirsten Horsburgh, Chief Executive Officer at Scottish Drugs Forum, says:
“The final Public Health Scotland RADAR report of 2026 shows that half of Scottish samples submitted to WEDINOS did not solely contain the intended purchase – with one sample containing 10 different substances.
“Throughout the year, these early warning reports have highlighted the dangers posed by Scotland’s contaminated drug supply. With each report, SDF has called for drug checking services to be made available across Scotland.
“At its core, drug checking is about respect. It recognises people’s right to know what they are taking and helps them make safer, more informed decisions about their health.
“Drug checking services can identify the presence of highly potent synthetics, such as benzodiazepines and medetomidine, which may be added to other drugs without the knowledge of the person using them, or sold as something entirely different. Detecting these substances can help prevent avoidable harm and deaths, while providing vital intelligence to inform public health responses.
“We understand that Glasgow’s drug checking service will open imminently, with plans also underway for services in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. But progress is too slow, and current plans lack the ambition needed to save lives. We want to see drug checking scaled up at pace, with access for communities across Scotland, including people living in remote and rural areas.
“But drug checking, while essential, is only one part of the wider response Scotland needs. As we said last month, following the publication of the National Records of Scotland’s annual report on drug-related deaths, it is too simplistic to attribute these deaths solely to the contaminated drug supply or to drug use itself. Poverty, trauma, deprivation, housing insecurity and mental health inequality all contribute to the risk of harm. An effective response must address these wider inequalities alongside expanding access to evidence-based harm reduction.
“The SDF manifesto sets out the action needed to make this a reality. We are calling on the Scottish Government to work collaboratively – across government portfolios, with the third sector and alongside the people most affected – to deliver the bold, sustained, transformational change that Scotland urgently needs.”