/ Ayrshire and Arran
Alcohol and Drug Partnerships
Drug Trend Monitoring Group
February 2015 Bulletin 4
In this issue .....
Current Trends
·  East Ayrshire
·  North Ayrshire
·  South Ayrshire
·  Green Heineken
·  Nitro 5
New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) Annual Report
National Information
·  Botulism
·  “Superman” Tablets
·  Club Drugs
Information Feature
·  Ayrshire College Addictions Liaison Officer
Training Events
Contact Details /

Welcome to the Drug Trend Monitoring Group Bulletin

The purpose of the bulletin is to keep you up to date with the information that the group is provided with by partners and colleagues in relation to substances that are being used locally.

We also hope to provide you with information from partners that are represented at the Group and demonstrate the work undertaken by them with regard to NPS.

Information on National activity will be shared along with anything else we may hear about.

We hope that you find the information useful and that you will contact us if there is anything else we can help make you aware of.

We would encourage you to complete an Information Collection Template for any substances that are prevalent in your area. Whilst we may have heard of them, it is always useful to share with partners what substances are in use and where and any given time. If there is a substance that you and your colleagues are aware of, feel free to complete on behalf of the whole team, and we welcome any information of new substances in circulation.

Please click on the icon below to access an Information Collection Template

Current Trends

The Drug Trend Monitoring Group seeks to ensure that the information circulated is up to date and accurate, but it should be noted that the information may be anecdotal. Whilst it is hoped that the contents will be informative, it is for general information only. We believe the contents to be true and accurate as at the date of writing but can give no assurances or warranty regarding the accuracy, currency or applicability of any of the contents in relation to specific situations and particular circumstances
East Ayrshire
·  Mephedrone – Being snorted. Grey/white powder reportedly taking 4 lines in one night. Person felt anxious and aggressive.
·  Exodus Damnation – Being smoked. Strong synthetic cannabinoids. £10 for one gram.
·  Nitro 5 Pink “Nitros” or Pink “Jellies”) – Being swallowed. Small pink tablet at a cost of £1 each (£14 per tray). Person reported benzodiazepine effects, describing them stronger that Diazepam. Person reportedly found in street after use reporting that they had little memory of incident but thinks they received adrenalin and CPR.
North Ayrshire
·  Green Heineken – Being swallowed. Green tablet with word “Heineken” printed on it. Apparent reports of containing 200 mg of MDMA
·  Happy Joker, Psyclone, Exodus – are all reported to be increasing in popularity due to strength and price.
·  Exodus Damnation – Being smoked. Strong synthetic cannabinoids. £10 for one gram.
South Ayrshire
·  An unconfirmed single report that Krokodil is being injected. The user reports sores at injecting site and scaley skin appearing around this area. However, it should be noted that poor injecting practices of stimulant type NPS can cause injection site wounds. The drug reported in Ayr is apparently being “cooked” and sold for £5 per bag within Ayr area. The DTMG would advise caution in accepting this drug has emerged in Ayr as there have been no confirmed reports of Krokodil in the UK.
·  Nitro 5 – being swallowed. Small round pinky/peach tablet with Nitro/5 on tablet, costing £1 per tablet or £14 per tray. User reports benzodiazepine effect and dealer selling them as “benzos”. Effects reported are bad taste in mouth and lapse of memory. Reports of manufacture taking place in Dalmellington/Patna area.
Green Heineken
Please click on the icon below to access the fact sheet for Green Heineken and a picture of the tablet.

Nitro 5
Please click on icon below to access a picture of a Nitro 5 tablet

Local Report

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) Annual Report
Please find attached the New Pyschoactive Substances Annual Report prepared by Marie Wilson, Education & Prevention Specialist, Prevention & Service Support Team, Addiction Services

National Information

Botulism
Please click on the icon below for information from Health Protection Scotland about the current Botulism outbreak.

“Superman” Tablets
The Spanish National Focal Point have reported information received from the organisation Energy Control, that ecstasy tablets bearing the Superman logo have been sold in Madrid and have been found to contain high levels of PMMA (140 milligrams) amphetamine has also been detected in these tablets (6 milligrams).
The Dutch Drugs Information and Monitoring System (DIMS) has issued an alert regardingecstasy tablets containing para-methoxy-methamphetamine (PMMA).
It concerns tablets with following characteristics:
Logo: Superman on both sides, no scoring
Color: pink/light red
Form: Pentagram
Contents: 173 mg PMMA, 10 mg amphetamine

Identical tablets containing only MDMA are circulating in Belgium and The Netherlands.
Since there is no way to tell the difference between these tablets, we strongly advise against consumption of these Superman tablets.
Compared to MDMA, it takes much longer for the effects of PMMA to kick in, causing the impression that one has bought “bad” ecstasy tablets.
This can result in the consumption of multiple tablets, with devastating consequences.
PMMA intoxication symptoms include tachycardia and extremely elevated body temperature.
So far these tablets have not been reported on the Belgian market.
Several other tablets have been found in The Netherlands containing PMMA.
These can be found in the table below.

“Club” Drugs
Thanks to the West Area STOP Unit for the enclosed photographs of some 'club drugs' recovered recently in Glasgow. There is no analysis information available at this time. Most of the tablets would be perceived as ecstasy.

The picture below is of recently recovered tablets which were found to contain only diclazepam which is not controlled and similar to etizolam. The recovery was in the Lanarkshire area.
Thanks are given to Mr Kenny Simpson, Drugs - Statement of Opinion (STOP) Unit Coordinator, Police Scotland, Specialist Crime Division for providing much of this information to the Ayrshire and Arran Drug Trend Monitoring Group.

Information Feature

Cara Durnie has been appointed Ayrshire College Addictions Liaison Officer with NHS Ayrshire and Arran Addiction Services. Here is some information in relation to Cara’s work.
Ayrshire College and NHS Ayrshire and Arran jointly appointed the Addictions Liaison Officer (ALO) post in April 2014, the first of its type in Scotland, to work exclusively with the College.
The post delivers key benefits to Ayrshire College, NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the individuals and linked communities by providing health prevention messages and education across the multi-site campus. This provides both staff and young people with an increased knowledge of alcohol and drug use through prevention, education and training, for personal awareness and future career opportunities.
Between April and December 2014, 81 workshops were delivered by the ALO, to 1150 students, in topics such as alcohol awareness, addiction and drug awareness, and training sessions have also been delivered to College staff. The ALO post has also provided opportunity for early intervention by supporting students with substance misuse issues and referring onto appropriate services.
Other aspects of the role have included the delivery of specialist information at College health promotion events, such as the delivery of brief interventions, keeping safe advice and education in relation to alcohol and drugs through a range of interactive resources. The ALO has also coordinated events such as ‘Alcohol Awareness Week’ and worked in partnership with Police Scotland to deliver ‘Respect Week’, with both campaigns focused on students’ personal safety, and utilising local organisations to deliver workshops to College students.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Cara Durnie, NHS Addiction Services/Ayrshire College Addictions Liaison Officer
Email:
Tel: 07584491677

Training Events

Ayrshire Wide Training Events
For a comprehensive list of all addiction related training please visit the PSST website click here

Contact Details

If you would like further information about anything in this bulletin, or if you would like something specific in the next bulletin, please contact :
Marie Wilson
DTMG Chairperson
' : 01563 826312 ; :
or
Lesley Robb
ADP Information Officer
': 01563 825882 ;: