New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
An 11% increase in fatalities last year has been partly attributed to the presence of nitazenes in Scotland's illicit drug market.
New forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest official figures showing an 11% increase in fatalities last year.
Annual figures released by National Records of Scotland (NRS) on Wednesday recorded 1,133 drug-related deaths in 2025, 116 more than the previous year. The 2025 total is the sixth highest on record.
Officials linked part of the rise to nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids that can be significantly more potent than heroin, which have increasingly turned up in Scotland's illicit drug supply in recent years.
Scotland has long recorded the highest drug death rate in Europe, and successive governments have faced pressure to address the crisis through harm-reduction measures, treatment services and drug-checking facilities.
The NRS figures are compiled annually from death registrations and are considered the authoritative source on drug-related mortality in Scotland.
Sources
- New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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