A designer drug which is thought to be 40 times stronger than street Valium has been detected in Scotland, a conference heard.
Forensic labs have noted the presence of Flubromazolam in a small number Scottish post mortems cases.
The drug, which can cause blackouts and memory loss, was revealed at a Scottish Drugs Forum online conference on Friday.
Dr Craig Mckenzie of the Leverhulme Research Centre in Dundee said: “We are keeping a very close eye on the emergence of Flubromazolam which, according to users, can be up to 40 times stronger than Valium.
“This is not a drug usually associated with being a street drug, it’s hard to get hold of and the instances found so far have been small.
“We suspect it may possibly be coming from the fake drug market.”
Scottish Drugs Forum CEO David Liddell said: “We now hear of new benzodiazepines appearing which are potentially even stronger such as Flualprazolam (15-30 times stronger than Valium) and Flubromazolam (40 times strong than Valium).
“It is obvious that the supply of illegal benzodiazepines is becoming more complex and potentially more dangerous. We need a national response to this challenge which means reducing demand for street drugs and moving against the criminal gangs that control this market.”
Scotland reported the highest drug deaths in Europe in 2018 with 1,187 lives lost. Experts predict 2019’s figures will be even higher.
Assistant chief constable Gary Ritchie said: “People suffering from addiction are vulnerable, and the reasons behind substance misuse are complex. We always seek to ensure any vulnerable person we interact with is directed to appropriate help and support through a range of public and third-sector partners.”
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