The surge in NHS Grampian tranquilliser-related hospital admissions is part of a “highly disturbing” trend in the fake drugs black market, a UK Government minister has said.
Aberdeen South MP Ross Thomson raised the issue of the “silent killer” at Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee inquiry into problem drug use yesterday.
The Tory MP spoke following the publication of figures which showed 389 Grampian patients were admitted in connection with the powerful sedative group Benzodiazepine in 2018/19, up from 246 the year before and 236 in 2016/17.
Mr Thomson said: “I know that there has been some good work by police on smashing pill press operations which are pumping out millions of fake but still dangerously powerful ‘prescription’ tablets each month.
“In my constituency in particular, NHS Grampian has posted year-on-year spikes in hospital admissions to do with the likes of fake Xanax.
“I wonder if you think the threat of homebrew drug operations is being handled effectively and do you think perhaps Police Scotland needs to be better armed to combat this silent killer?”
Home Office minister Kit Malthouse responded: “This development is really quite disturbing because the drugs market constantly evolves.
“Both in England and Scotland, I think this is an area where we’re going to have to develop our expertise if we want to get ahead of this problem.
“We would be looking at doing more to combat that and I would urge Police Scotland to do the same.”
Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid later raised the prevalence of “cuckooing”, a tactic employed by drug dealers in his constituency, and asked the minister whether legalising hard drugs would be an answer to Scotland’s drug problem.
He said: “A particular issue in my constituency is what the police call cuckooing. Drug dealers just take over somebody vulnerable.
“Once their purpose is served, they are treated as disposable – something that’s distressing to hear about.”
Mr Malthouse said: “I think if there were decriminalisation in one part of the UK but not in another, that would make life extremely difficult from an enforcement point of view.
“It would also skew the operation of the drug market very significantly.”
