New Drugs Law: Tackling Emerging Threats

Legislation has been introduced in Parliament to ban xylazine and 21 other dangerous substances, marking a significant step in the government’s efforts to reduce drug-related deaths and dismantle drug-dealing gangs.

Xylazine, commonly referred to as ‘tranq,’ is a potent veterinary sedative increasingly mixed with opioids like heroin. This practice extends the effect of each dose but poses severe health risks. Disturbingly, xylazine has also been found in cannabis vapes.

In the United States, deaths involving xylazine skyrocketed from 102 to 3,468 between 2018 and 2021. The drug’s harrowing impact on long-term users—leaving them immobilised and suffering from severe, non-healing skin lesions—has earned it the grim nickname ‘zombie drug.’

While xylazine has been less prevalent in Europe than in North America, there have been worrying signs of its presence. Seizures in Estonia revealed mixtures of xylazine with synthetic opioids like protonitazene and metonitazene, while in a survey conducted in Riga, Latvia, xylazine was detected in 13% of used syringes, often combined with powerful synthetic opioids like isotonitazene, metonitazene, or carfentanil.

A Shifting Landscape in the Opioid Market

The Taliban’s prohibition of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in April 2022 has dramatically altered the global drug market. There has been a 95% reduction in opium poppy farming, leading to a drastic decline in both the opium harvested and the amount of heroin produced. As a result, heroin production plummeted from 6,200 tonnes in 2022 to just 333 tonnes in 2023.

With heroin availability decreasing, experts warn that the UK and European illicit opioid markets could increasingly turn to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This shift raises concerns that dangerous substances like xylazine could become more common in the UK’s illicit drug supply. 

Tightening the Net: New Drug Controls

Xylazine is among 22 harmful substances that will soon be banned under the new legislation, with six of these being classified as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Individuals caught producing or supplying these Class A substances could face life imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

The legislation also covers a range of synthetic opioids, including new variations of nitazenes. These highly addictive drugs are hundreds of times more potent than heroin, significantly increasing the risk of accidental overdose.

To prevent drug manufacturers from exploiting legal loopholes, the new law introduces a broad, generic definition of nitazenes, making it harder for gangs to tweak chemical structures to bypass UK regulations. 

Controlled Substances Under the New Law

The substances to be classified as Class A drugs include:

• AP-237

• AP-238

• Azaprocin

• Para-methyl-AP-237

• Para-nitroazaprocin

• 2-methyl-AP-237

Additionally, several substances will be regulated as Class C drugs, including:

• Xylazine

• Bentazepam

• Bretazenil

• Clobromazolam

• Desalkylgidazepam

• Difludiazepam

• Fluclotizolam

• Thionordazepam 

These changes are expected to take effect either later this year or in early 2025, depending on the legislative process.

How Can We Assist You?

We make it a priority to stay up to date with legislative changes and case law developments, ensuring that we can always provide the most informed legal advice. If you have any questions or wish to discuss your case, please don’t hesitate to contact Craig MacKenzie, Partner & Head of the High-Profile & Private Crime Division.