Crack cocaine warning after man dies in spate of 'drug incidents'

A 52-year-old man died in Cambridge Street last week

Glasgow's health board has warned drug users against inhaling crack cocaine following a series of suspected drug incidents.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the drug could be very strong or cut with other dangerous substances.

It comes after a 52-year-old man died in Cambridge Street in Cowcaddens on 8 September. Others were hospitalised following incidents on Cresswell Street on Friday and Renfield Lane on Saturday.

In August Public Health Scotland said nitazenes - super-strong synthetic opioids - were being widely detected in drugs available in Scotland.

The health board said it could not comment on individual cases, but urged drug users to follow public health advice.

A spokesperson said: "A warning has been issued to drug users and relevant services regarding the use of crack cocaine, via inhalation.

"Overdoses can take place when this drug is very strong or cut with something dangerous. They can also be linked to taking other drugs.

"There is support available to people in Greater Glasgow and Clyde who use drugs including the Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Recovery Service and other partners."

Nitazenes have become widely detected in drugs in Scotland

Police Scotland are making inquiries into the three recent incidents.

Public Health Scotland said in August different types of nitazenes were now being detected in a variety of drugs across Scotland, and that "some are hundreds of times more potent than heroin."

Between January and March 2025, nitazenes were detected in 38 deaths across Scotland.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said people smoking crack cocaine - also known as freebase - should not use the drug when alone. It also suggested users take a small amount first to test the substance's strength.

The health board also advised people to avoid plastic or homemade pipes and instead use a glass stem if available, and to avoid taking with other drugs as this increases the overdose risk.

Users should be careful and watch out for any unusual taste, colour, or effects, as well as having the drug naloxone available, as it can help reverse the effect of opioids.

Annemarie Ward, the anti-drugs campaigner and head of the charity Faces & Voices of Recovery UK, criticised the NHS approach.

She said: "It reads as if the priority is to 'manage' crack use as if it were a lifestyle choice, not a lethal public health crisis.

"It lists tips on how to safely smoke crack or freebase, as though the problem is technique, not the reality that these substances are highly addictive, corrosive to health, and now frequently contaminated with nitazenes and other synthetics."

Ms Ward added that the approach was reducing the drug crisis to a handful of safety tips, and that recovery should be the goal, not management.