
Terrifying rise of UK's most lethal Frankenstein drug EVER as experts warn of wave of Scots deaths
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has sounded the alarm over nitazene-type opioids, which are linked to six per cent of deaths in early 2025.
2
Nitazene are man-made opioids which can be up to 500 times stronger than heroin
2
They were first developed as a pain-killing medication in the 1950s but were never approved for medical use
Credit: Alamy
These synthetic opioids, often mixed with black market morphine, can be up to 500 times stronger than heroin.
The

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Ozempic-like fat jabs linked to horror side effect that causes sudden blindness, study reveals
Injections could pose a risk to vital nerve behind the eye JAB FEARS Ozempic-like fat jabs linked to horror side effect that causes sudden blindness, study reveals Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WEIGHT loss jabs could raise the risk of sudden blindness, a study warns. Injections like Wegovy, Mounjaro and Ozempic are all the rage because of their rapid slimming effects – but they are not without side effects. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Weight loss jabs' popularity has soared in the past three years (stock image) Credit: Alamy Users mostly report gut problems that tend to end after they stop taking the medicines. But new research warns weight loss jabs might pose a permanent risk to patients' eyes. A study of type 2 diabetes patients taking semaglutide – the ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – found a link to non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The condition, known as NAOIN, causes sudden blindness. Sufferers lose blood supply to the nerve behind the eye, breaking the connection between eye and brain and leaving the eye completely blind. It typically happens quickly and painlessly to one eye and cannot be cured. A study by the US National Institutes of Health analysed data from 3.8million type 2 diabetes patients over the age of 65. It found semaglutide raised the risk by 15 per cent compared to other diabetes medications such as insulin or metformin. Writing in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers said: 'Our findings demonstrate an association between semaglutide use and an increased risk of NAION.' 'Patient safety is top priority' It adds to a previous study that suggested the medicine increased the risk as much as four to eight times above average. Watch Ellen's weight loss journey on fat jabs The authors of that study said: 'As with any drug, therapeutic benefits are inseparable from adverse effects.' Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy and Ozempic, said: 'Patient safety is our top priority, and we take any reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously. 'In June 2025 we concluded that the data did not suggest a reasonable possibility of a causal relationship between semaglutide and NAION and that the benefit-risk profile of semaglutide remains favourable. 'Novo Nordisk will continue to collaborate with the MHRA to discuss any UK impact. 'We recommend that any patients experiencing side effects while taking our medicines report them to their healthcare provider.'


Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Lung cancer warning as one food type linked to higher chance of deadly disease - even in non-smokers
Lung cancer is the most common cancer in Scotland It is a well known fact that what we put into our bodies affects our long-term health. Binging on fast food and slurping high-sugar drinks beyond moderation can lead to issues such as high cholesterol, obesity, and more. Not being diet-conscious can contribute to our chances of being diagnosed with cancer, too. And academics have now found a link between consuming high levels of ultra processed foods (UPFs) and lung cancer in particular. It comes after an international team of researchers tracked the health and food habits of more than 100,000 US adults, with an average age of 63. After an average of 12 years, the team identified 1,706 cases of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in Scotland, with 5,476 cases diagnosed in 2021, accounting for 15.5 per cent of all cancers in the country, according to Public Health Scotland. Food survey questionnaires revealed these people ate UPFs, including ice cream, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, bread, cakes, pastries, breakfast cereals, instant noodles and soups, margarine, confectionery, and soft drinks. The research team, led by academics in China, found that average UPF consumption was nearly three servings a day, but ranged from 0.5 to six. The three types of food that featured the most were lunch meat and soft drinks. "These findings suggest the healthy benefits of limiting UPF," the authors said. "Limiting trends of UPF intake globally could contribute to reducing the burden of lung cancer." The academics shared some shocking statics. People who consumed the highest amounts of UPFs were 41 per cent more likely to develop lung cancer compared with those who consumed the least amount, they wrote. The authors adjusted their findings based on whether or not people smoked, but they did not make adjustments for smoking intensity, which may have an impact. In any case, they stressed the data should be read with caution. "A quarter of lung cancer cases occur in non-smokers so we do need research exploring whether other factors are associated with lung cancer," Professor Sam Hare, consultant chest radiologist at Royal Free London NHS Trust, said. "We also know immunity is linked to cancer biology so it is a good idea to do research into factors like diet." Professor Hare highlighted that people's diets can also change a lot over the course of such long-term studies. For this reason, it is "difficult to directly conclude" that lung cancer is related to the level of UPF consumption alone, given it was only declared at the start of the study. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "That said, given the relative dearth of information on non-smoking related risk factors in lung cancer, it is important that the scientific community conducts more studies like this," the expert concluded. "We need genuine evidence-based advancement in the early diagnosis of lung cancer in non-smokers, but this study isn't quite able to give us the answers yet."


Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Terrifying rise of UK's most lethal Frankenstein drug EVER as experts warn of wave of Scots deaths
A LETHAL 'Frankenstein' drug is tearing through Scotland - with experts warning of an imminent wave of deaths. Public Health Scotland (PHS) has sounded the alarm over nitazene-type opioids, which are linked to six per cent of deaths in early 2025. 2 Nitazene are man-made opioids which can be up to 500 times stronger than heroin 2 They were first developed as a pain-killing medication in the 1950s but were never approved for medical use Credit: Alamy These synthetic opioids, often mixed with black market morphine, can be up to 500 times stronger than heroin. The