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The number of adulterated prescription and recreational drugs handed in anonymously to the UK’s only public health drug-checking surveillance service increased, according to the latest figures which revealed diazepam as the most commonly identified substance.

A report by Public Health Wales (PHW), published this week, said the Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances service (WEDINOS) analysed 8,209 samples in 2025-26, up from 8,032 in 2024-2025.

WEDINOS, which is based in Cardiff and is funded by PHW, received samples from three settings across the UK; community, night-time economy (NTE) and criminal justice settings. Community samples increased from 6,894 to 7,973 and substances identified from 206 to 238.

Cocaine was the most commonly identified substance in the NTE but diazepam was the most common substance overall. Between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, WEDINOS received 1,769 samples submitted as diazepam and of those, 42 substances were identified either alone or in combination.

For the eighth successive year, benzodiazepines were the most identified class of psychoactive substances with 22 identified compared with 19 last year. 

PHW said benzodiazepines, including ethylbromazolam and bromazolam, “continued to be identified, often in samples sold as other substances”. The median age of sample providers was 36 and ranged from 11 to 88.

The synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist (SCRA) MDMB4en-PINACA was the most common substance received from criminal justice settings.

Of the synthetic opioids received, 110 samples contained nitazenes and 18 orphine analogues. PHW said substitution and adulteration “remain prevalent”, with 36.6 per cent of samples not containing the intended substance and 7.7 per cent containing the intended substance “alongside additional psychoactive substances”.

WEDINOS, which was set up in 2013, shares its findings with substance misuse services, healthcare professionals, public health organisations, the UK National Drug Alerts System, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the Trans European Drug Information network and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

“The findings highlight the continued value of drug checking services in identifying unexpected substances, supporting harm reduction and informing public health responses,” PHW said.

“WEDINOS continues to provide surveillance, early warning intelligence and harm reduction information across Wales and the wider UK.”