Say No drugs

 toxicology testing for xylazine in relevant cases to understand the true prevalence of the drug.”

Co-author Dr Adam Holland, Co-Chair, Faculty of Public Health Drugs Special Interest Group and Clinical Research Training Fellow, University of Bristol said: “The emergence of xylazine in the UK drug market, as well as the proliferation of potent synthetic substances including nitazenes and benzodiazepine analogues is extremely concerning. As levels of adulteration increase and drug-related deaths mount it becomes even more clear that our punitive drug laws are not reducing harm. We need to expand the range of harm reduction interventions available for people who use drugs, including drug checking and overdose prevention centres, to give them the opportunities they need to stay safe.”

We need to be constantly alert to changes in the nature of the illicit drug market, especially as these changes sometimes bring new health complications or challenges.

Professor Sir John Strang, Head of Addictions at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Professor Sir John Strang added: "Copeland and her colleagues bring important new information about the appearance of a new drug, xylazine, as a co-drug added to illicit heroin and also apparently as a novel drug on its own. This has required integration of data from different sources (from case reports, from national data-sets and from forensic toxicology) and collaboration across different disciplines and different universities alongside data collection organisations or law enforcement.

“Copeland and colleagues also identify possible changes in public health planning and law enforcement - a good illustration of how science can inform public policy and practice and enable valuable impact."