The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, has revealed in his annual report that organised crime gangs operating inside English jails are now smuggling in a widening range of contraband, including the weight-loss drug Ozempic and hair-loss treatments such as Minoxidil. He warned that serious security failings mean many prisoners can effectively "pick from a menu" of illicit substances, highlighting how deeply embedded the drugs trade has become behind bars.

According to Taylor, alongside lifestyle medicines prisoners can also obtain anabolic steroids and illegal drugs such as cannabis and ketamine. He said the problem has been transformed by technology, with parcels weighing several kilograms being flown in by remote-controlled drones. Taylor linked the demand partly to boredom, noting that when prisoners have little to occupy them they often turn to readily available drugs to pass the time.