File on 4 Investigates Folgen

They’re cheap – but they’re also deadly. Illegal pills costing as little as 50p each are contributing to the deaths of hundreds of people each year in Scotland. Now an expert is warning benzodiazepines, or street Valium, could pose a growing threat elsewhere.Jane Deith talks to those whose lives have been destroyed by benzodiazepines, a category of drugs usually used to treat anxiety that can be prescribed, but which have become a major feature of the illegal drugs market in Scotland and now elsewhere in the UK.The so called “street benzos” are a class C drug manufactured in huge quantities in illegal factories and sold for as little as 50p each, less than a bar of chocolate. But in combination with other drugs benzodiazepines can be fatal, significantly increasing the risk of an overdose. In recent years the number of people dying has risen sharply. Last year in Scotland more than 800 people died with illegal street benzos in their system. In England and Wales the death toll was over 500, with 171 of those who died having used benzodiazepine analogues, fake versions that can vary widely – and dangerously - in strength. From the Clyde to Cornwall, File on 4 hears the stories of those dealing with the fallout from the trade in the drugs, including people who have been addicted to them; a mother in North East England who lost her daughter to a fatal overdose; a teenager who bought them on social media, and an expert who believes their influence is spreading, with potentially dangerous consequences.Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Fergus Hewison Research: George Crafer Journalism Assistant: Tim Fernley Production Manager: Sarah Payton Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Editor: Carl Johnston

Before Covid the US gaming platform Roblox was one of many online games children played. Following lockdown and millions of children isolating at home, the company now has a market value of $22bn and is the most popular gaming platform for British children. But is the platform doing all it can to protect them? Concerns have been raised about financial exploitation, grooming, gambling and access to inappropriate content. Reporter: Hayley Hassall Producer: Jim Booth Editor: Carl Johnston

From the harrowing 999 calls of people waiting for an ambulance to the paramedics stretched to breaking point, File on 4 goes on the frontline of the ambulance crisis. Rachel Stonehouse speaks to the family of one man who died after waiting nearly 11 hours for an ambulance and the wife who desperately tried to keep her husband alive after an ambulance failed to turn up on time. She goes out on shift with hard pressed paramedics and sees the steps which are being taken to try to reduce delays in handing over patients at hospital - blamed as one of the main factors behind poor response times. In August alone, 138,000 hours were lost to handover delays in England. That equates to nearly 150 patients who could not be attended by an ambulance every hour of every day in that month. The government says it is committed to easing pressure on the ambulance service - by discharging more patients in hospitals, increasing the number of 999 call handlers and creating more beds.Reporter: Rachel Stonehouse Producer: Paul Grant Research: Scott Hesketh Journalism Assistant: Tim Fernley Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Editor: Carl Johnston