Scottish minister Maree Todd says her “eye is absolutely on the ball” after figures show a surge in drug deaths linked to so-called “power” synthetic drugs. Both outlets report she is urging stronger and quicker efforts to respond to the increase.
Todd tells the Scottish Government it must “work harder and faster” as authorities face a “flood” of synthetic drugs. The reporting frames the rise in fatalities as occurring alongside changing drug supply patterns, with synthetic substances presenting particular public health and enforcement challenges.
While both sources focus on the minister’s reaction, they emphasize different aspects of the same message: the Belfast Telegraph highlights the overall increase in deaths, while the Evening Standard foregrounds Todd’s call for acceleration of government action. Neither outlet, in the provided text, cites detailed breakdowns of the figures or specifies the exact drugs driving the increase beyond the reference to synthetic “power” drugs.
