Illegal valium trade investigated

Police are concerned at the amount of prescribed valium sold illegally

Police have asked health services in southern Scotland to help investigate how legally-prescribed valium is making its way onto the criminal drug market.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary has written to the region's health board to highlight its concerns about the issue.

It says the majority of valium being seized by its officers was originally legally prescribed to someone.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway stressed its prescription rate did "not appear to be excessive" compared with other areas.

Concerns about the circulation of illegal benzodiazepines - including valium - have been discussed by the region's Alcohol and Drug Action Team.

This prescribing does not appear to be excessive - comparing with other health board areas - Dumfries and Galloway is the sixth highest in Scotland Angus Cameron NHS medical director

The issue has also been raised at recent drug death conferences.

A police statement confirmed its concerns about the problem.

"Research in relation to the profile of valium tablets recently seized by the police indicate that by far the majority recovered have been legally prescribed to some person at one time or another," it said.

They have now contacted NHS Dumfries and Galloway to establish why so many lawfully prescribed tablets are finding their way on to the criminal market.

NHS Medical Director Angus Cameron said he believed the drugs could be coming in from outside the region.

'Black market'

"In Dumfries and Galloway, the prescribing of anxiolytics such as benzodiazepam (valium) has been falling steadily for several years," he said.

"But it still remains at approximately 3,500 daily defined doses per 1,000 population per year.

"This prescribing does not appear to be excessive - comparing with other health board areas - Dumfries and Galloway is the sixth highest in Scotland."

He said that discussions with the procurator fiscal had suggested the levels of diazepam-like drugs being sold on the "black market" was fairly constant across Scotland.

He said that suggested that the drugs might "cross regional boundaries easily, responding to what could be described as market demand".