Three deaths in Dundee over the weekend could be drug related
Police say that's one line of inquiry after they were called to the west area of the city between friday and saturday
Last updated 27th Nov 2019
Three deaths in Dundee over the weekend could be drug related.
Police say that's one line of inquiry - after they were called to the west area of the city between friday and saturday.
Social media reports have linked the deaths to the drug xanax.
One woman in Lochee said: "It's sad. Sad for the family and for them as well. You couldn't walk in Lochee yourself."
Another resident said: It's just like one drug to another drug, I don't know what else they can do.
"Nobody knows why they turn to them, some people get given them for free then they get hooked on them and need to find the money for them."
Last year Dundee was named the drug capital of Europe, with 53 people dieing as result in 2018.
In August this year the dundee drugs commission released it's report into the city's drugs problem, describing the support system as "fractured".
Dundee City Council, NHS Tayside and partnering bodies are currently working to implement the recommendations, although the lead of the commission has said this isn't happening quickly enough.
Addaction Dundee service manager Dave Barrie said news of three deaths is shocking.
"We're devastated and our hearts go out to the families of the three individuals.
"It's very early days yet but certainly intelligence on the ground (suggests) Xanax, which is one of the illicit diazepine like the fake valium.
"Some of these drugs when they're prescribed have a therapeutic value, but what we're talking her is illicit use so people are potentially buying them on the internet or getting them imported from countries like China.
"We don't know the strength, we don't know what's in them. It's very uncontrolled."
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