A ban on the sale of so-called legal highs in the Scottish capital has led to a drop in crime and health problems.
The move came after a wave of "bizarre" behaviour including extreme violence connected to users that was blighting city centre communities.
A report to go before Edinburgh City Council reveals the pre-emptive ban that came a year before the law was changed last month making it illegal to sell such substances brought a reduction in such anti-social behaviour.
Among the most serious cases there was a police officer stabbed, a siege and a suicide.
Read more: New law will be effective against legal highs - minister
It comes as police are visiting known sellers all over Scotland following the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act which made their sale illegal.
However while it is against the law to peddle substances such as Annihilation, Clockwork Orange, Spice and Black Mamba, pictured below, possession is not illegal.
The report sets out a shocking backdrop of increasingly dangerous crime and violent acts as legal highs grew in popularity.
Report author Rob McCulloch-Graham, chief officer, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, revealed: “At this time, Police Scotland reported an increase in bizarre anti-social behaviour and extreme violence.
"Police reported that these incidents involved people who appeared to under the influence of a stimulant based drug, likely to be ethalphendrate.
“The most serious of these resulted in an officer being stabbed, a siege and a suicide.
"Local evidence suggests that between January and October 2014, there were 39 incidents where the police were called and the person was taken to A&E, as well as a number of incidents of violence linked to extreme behaviour.”
He adds: "In summary, the introduction of the temporary banning order for ethalphendrate in April 2015 had a significant impact on the availability and use of this drug.
"This resulted in a reduction in a range of health and criminal harms relating to drug use."
Police are leading the enforcement of the new law but are working with trading standards officers around Scotland.
Deputy Chief Constable Ruaraidh Nicolson, above, said: "Police Scotland will take appropriate and proportionate action to deal with New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and the impact they have on our communities.
“We have engaged with known sellers of NPS to make them aware of the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
“Police Scotland is working with Trading Standards Scotland and local authority trading standards departments in taking action against those who supply NPS.
“There is no safe way to take NPS, there is always a risk.
"The only way of staying safe is to avoid NPS altogether."
Read more: Blanket ban on legal highs
Cammy Day, Edinburgh's community safety leader, said: "This banning order was a hugely important step in our bid to get rid of so-called legal highs.
"There was overwhelming evidence of the devastating effect on individuals as well as communities.
"The success of the banning order is not just good news for Edinburgh, but now Scotland as a whole."
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The new legislation places an onus on the police to lead enforcement activity on the sale and possession of psychoactive substances.
“However, trading standards officer will provide support to the police in certain instances
“We will be engaging with businesses to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities under the new act and also sharing any intelligence we have on retailers who may have breached the law.
“Checks with shops who previously sold ‘legal highs’ have already been undertaken and it appears all are compliant with the new act.”
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