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<p>We are highly alert to the emerging threat from the arrival of potent synthetic
opioids in the United Kingdom. The Department is an active member of the cross-Government
synthetic opioids taskforce, which was established in the Summer of 2023, to develop
mitigations to the synthetic opioids threat.</p><p>In July 2023, the Office for Health
Improvement and Disparities issued a National Patient Safety Alert, which promoted
awareness and provided clear instructions for staff in health settings across the
country, to ensure they are prepared for anyone that may present with an overdose
caused by synthetic opioids.</p><p>We are developing an early warning system to improve
drug surveillance on synthetic opioids, and are also expanding access to naloxone,
a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, so that more
professionals and services can give out take-home supplies.</p><p>We are engaging
on this issue internationally via the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
and are playing an active role in the United States-convened Global Coalition to Address
Synthetic Drug Threats.</p>
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