The challenge of new psychoactive substances

UNODC launched the Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme in September 2008. The Programme seeks to enhance the capacity of Member States and authorities in priority regions, to generate, manage, analyse and report synthetic drug information, and to apply this scientific evidence-based knowledge to design the policies and programmes.
This report is the first global situation assessment on new psychoactive substances put forward under the Global SMART Programme and pursuant to Commission on Narcotic Drugs Resolution 55/1 on "Promoting international cooperation in responding to the challenges posed by new psychoactive substances", which requested the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to provide an update to its 2011 report entitled "Synthetic cannabinoids in herbal products", addressing a wider range of new psychoactive substances, in addition to synthetic cannabinoids, and to take into consideration the creation of a compilation of new psychoactive substances encountered by Member States, to serve as an early warning advisory.
It constitutes the first step in providing consolidated up to-date analysis, based primarily on the information shared by Member States and the International Collaborative Exercise network of drug analysis laboratories. It is hoped that the information on new psychoactive substances presented in this report will make a practical contribution to addressing the significant threat posed by the manufacture, trafficking and use of these substances throughout the world, and place policymakers in a better position to evaluate the drug situation, and to make informed decisions on intervention and prevention strategies.
This report provides an overview of the situation throughout the world. It outlines the emergence of different groups of new psychoactive substances in the regions and highlights several key issues associated with these substances, including reported adverse effects associated with their use, the challenges for the identification of these substances and their subsequent control through legislation.
While the information presented points towards increasing efforts by the countries to address the NPS problem, it also highlights the need for continued and joint efforts, both at the national as well as regional levels.
It is hoped that this report will contribute to a better understanding of the NPS problem and in developing effective strategies to address it.