Task force to tackle city's monkey dust problem

A group created to tackle the issue of monkey dust use in Stoke-on-Trent has convened for the first time.

The monkey dust task force aims to remove barriers to an "effective multi-agency response" to the problem, said Allison Gardner, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South.

It is made up of representatives from Staffordshire Police, the NHS, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Expert Citizens CIC, CDAS (Community Drug and Alcohol Services), researchers from Staffordshire University and other frontline organisations.

Gardner said members agreed previous strategies had been too fragmented, with services "operating in silos" rather than as part of a co-ordinated system.

She said the first meeting, held on Friday, marked an "important step" in bringing together people and organisations who were "working tirelessly" to tackle the harms caused by the substance.

"People facing both addiction and mental health challenges are too often let down by a fragmented system," the Labour MP added.

"That must change. A co-ordinated, wraparound approach is not optional - it is essential.

"We also need to confront the stigma that surrounds this issue. Stigmatising people will not stop drug use - the evidence suggests it can entrench it further and push people away from help."

During the meeting, the group agreed to develop a multi-agency risk assessment process to better identify and support people at greatest risk from the Class B drug.

The aim of this was to ensure earlier intervention, stronger co-ordination between services and consistent support for those with complex needs, Gardner said.

A previous report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) identified monkey dust, a synthetic cathinone, as a "problem in Staffordshire".

It said markets for the drug were concentrated in Stoke-on-Trent, Stone, Stafford, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Uttoxeter, as well as in Shrewsbury and Telford in Shropshire.

Analysis of police records showed officers were called about monkey dust-related incidents almost 15 times per day in 2023 and 2024, the ACMD added.

Of the 75 deaths involving a synthetic cathinone recorded in the UK between 2019 and 2023, 52% happened in Staffordshire, according to the report.

Recovering addicts have been among those who have called for monkey dust to be reclassified from a Class B to a Class A drug.

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