Minister for Policing and Crime ( ): Tackling illegal drugs is key to
delivering this Government's missions by making our streets
safer, improving our nation's health, breaking down barriers to
opportunities for all and supporting economic growth.
In the last year orphines, a class of lethal synthetic opioids,
have emerged in the UK. The National Crime Agency and Office for
Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) have reported that in
England alone there have been more than 15 confirmed deaths in
which orphines were involved since the spring of 2025. OHID's
National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data shows that 12 of
these were in the period September-December 2025, including five
in December.
I am today laying a temporary class drug order (TCDO) before
Parliament, under section 2A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (the
1971 Act'). This will control seven named orphines. Three of the
seven have been identified as being involved in deaths in the UK;
the other four were notified by the EU Drugs Agency as being
present in EU drugs markets. This is in line with a
recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs,
for whose recent report on orphines I am grateful.
The TCDO will make it easier for law enforcement to take action
against those supplying orphines. It will make it a specific
offence to supply, offer to supply, produce, possess with intent
to supply, import or export these seven substances. The maximum
sentence will be 14 years' imprisonment.
The TCDO comes into force tomorrow, and lasts for a year, unless
the substances named within it are, before then, permanently
controlled under the 1971 Act. I intend to lay before Parliament
in due course a draft Order in Council which would, if agreed by
Parliament, enact such a permanent control by making these
substances Class A drugs.
These substances are not believed to have legitimate uses, but
should someone need to make legitimate use of them, for example
for research purposes, they will be able to apply to the Home
Office for a licence.
We will continue to support law enforcement agencies in taking
action against these and other harmful drugs, to protect our
communities.
