The Global SMART Update is designed to provide regular brief reporting on emerging patterns and trends of the fast changing global synthetic drug situation. Given the speed at which changes in the ATS markets occur, it is especially important to have a simple sustainable mechanism for frequent information sharing from different parts of the world. The Global SMART Update is published twice a year and is available in English and Spanish.

The Update reports synthetic drug information in several categories, such as significant or unusual drug or precursor chemical seizures, new locations, methods and chemicals used for clandestine manufacture, new trafficking groups or routes, changes in legislation to address the problem of synthetic drugs, environmental impact from their illicit manufacture and destruction, emerging drugs or user groups, and health implications related to their use.

The special segment of the current issue takes a closer look at new psychoactive substances (NPS) – substances which are not controlled under the international drug conventions but which have emerged in all regions of the world and may pose a risk to public health. Broad global concern over NPS led to the adoption of resolution 55/1 entitled “Promoting international cooperation in responding to the challenges posed by new psychoactive substances”, at the 55th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the main United Nations drug policy-making body. The segment provides an overview on the various NPS available on illicit ATS markets and a critical assessment of some of the challenges posed by NPS to the international community.