Home > Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) : transnational project on different user groups, user characteristics, extent and patterns of use, market dynamics, and best practices in prevention.

The European Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 specifically mentions the rapid rise of new drugs among young people and the difficulties policy makers have in responding to new drug trends. This project directly addresses priority area ‘New psychoactive substances’, i.e. ‘to support the implementation of EU legislation on new psychoactive substances by monitoring the extent and patterns of use of such substances, and by sharing best practices on prevention’.

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are a rapidly growing group of psychoactive drugs. EMCDDA defines NPS as “synthetic or naturally occurring substances that are not controlled under international law, and often produced with the intention of mimicking the effects of controlled drugs”. NPS are also a heterogeneous group (e.g. phenethylamines, tryptamines, cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids). The emergence of NPS poses several challenges to Justice.

Firstly, because the rapid spread and the strong variety in chemical composition, it is not an easy task to keep up with the emergence of NPS. This leads to difficulty with timely and appropriate actions regarding the legal status of NPS, not only at the EU level, but also for individual EU member states, in particular if detailed (national) Risk Assessments are required in order to decide whether or not, and how a specific NPS should be regulated.

Secondly, the emergence of NPS goes hand in hand with the Internet as a growing marketplace. The Internet is of growing importance as a source of information about NPS (e.g. chemical composition, psychoactive effects), not only for users but also for NPS producers and suppliers, thereby creating new market opportunities. Buying NPS through the Internet generally does not require access to social networks and personal contacts to dealers, as is the case in traditional supply (e.g. in the street, in clubs, through stone and mortar suppliers such as smart shops, in private settings). On the other hand, NPS sales through the Internet might increase risks for users.

Thirdly, the transnational character of this new market has strong impact on the structure and organisation of the NPS supply chain; today geographical distances covered are much larger than before, while at the same time there are fewer intermediaries in the chain.

This transnational project aims to address the need to be better informed about the extent and patterns of NPS use, NPS supply - in particular the role of the Internet, and best practices in prevention of NPS demand and supply.

The main objectives are:

1. Determine the extent, and patterns, of NPS use within three different groups
2. Assess characteristics in three different groups of NPS users
3. Collect information about supply
4. Identify market dynamics for NPS
5. Assess perception of legal status of NPS
6. Make an inventory of prevention strategies used in the different countries
7. Identify best practices
8. Disseminate and share project results Europe-wide