The Five Nations Health and Justice Collaboration is a forum for discussion and debate, providing a collective authoritative voice on health and wellbeing, and health and social care for people in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS), in settings across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The collaboration aims to facilitate the sharing of best practice, mutual learning and improved collective capability of health and justice partners in the five nations as well as informing the work of the UK Collaborating Centre for the WHO Health in Prisons Programme.

This statement outlines how the European drug marketplace has become increasingly complex with an increasing number of new substances available alongside more established drugs and diverted medications. The Five Nations Health and Justice Collaboration has been sharing increasing reports of NPS use in prisons across the five nations and their impact, not only on the health of the individual but also the prison regime, which has led to it to make this collective statement.