eprintid: 24819 rev_number: 14 eprint_status: archive userid: 1684 dir: disk0/00/02/48/19 datestamp: 2015-11-13 13:57:40 lastmod: 2015-11-13 13:57:40 status_changed: 2015-11-13 13:57:40 type: research_project metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Wouters, M creators_name: Nabbe, T creators_name: Korf, Dirk creators_name: Werse, B creators_name: Olssen, B creators_name: Dabrowska, K creators_name: Van Hout, Marie Claire creators_name: Bujalski, M creators_name: Demetrovics, Zsolt browse_creators: Wouters:M:: title: Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) : transnational project on different user groups, user characteristics, extent and patterns of use, market dynamics, and best practices in prevention. subjects: AA2-4 subjects: BN subjects: BT subjects: JB2 subjects: MM20-10-6 subjects: MR2-8-4 subjects: VH full_text_status: none research_status: in_progress date: 2015-10 date_type: published browse_by: Wouters M date_start: 2015-10 date_end: 2017-09 organisations_organisation: JUST/2014/JDRU/AG/DRUG Action grants to support transnational projects in the area of EU drugs policy. Justice Programme 2014-2020 organisations_role: commissioning_and_funding accession_status: electronic_only body_html:

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
research_dissemination: peer-reviewed_paper research_dissemination: published_report research_quantitative: survey_face-to-face doc_order_by: 11 vol_subject_list: AA2-4 , BN , BT , JB2 , MM20-10-6 , MR2-8-4 , VH vol_subject_list_words: A Drugs and alcohol use, abuse, and dependence > Prevalence of drugs and alcohol use > Problem drugs and alcohol use -- B Drugs and alcohol substances > New psychoactive substances -- E Concepts in biomedical areas > Drugs and alcohol substance by legal status -- J Health care, prevention and rehabilitation > Drugs and alcohol prevention -- MM-MO Crime and law > Drugs and alcohol offence > Drug offence > Illegal distribution of drugs (drug market / dealing) -- MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Marketing and public relations (advertising) > Internet retailing (online sales) vol_subject_list_geo_words: VA Geographic area > Europe vol_subject_list_words_last: Prevalence of drugs and alcohol use - Problem drugs and alcohol use -- New psychoactive substances -- Drugs and alcohol substance by legal status -- Drugs and alcohol prevention -- Drugs and alcohol offence - Drug offence - Illegal distribution of drugs (drug market / dealing) -- Marketing and public relations (advertising) - Internet retailing (online sales) vol_subject_list_geo_words_last: Europe ace_words: Wouters M , Nabbe T , Korf Dirk , Werse B , Olssen B , Dabrowska K , Van Hout Marie Claire , Bujalski M , Demetrovics Zsolt sticky: 0 home_hide: yes citation: Wouters, M and Nabbe, T and Korf, Dirk and Werse, B and Olssen, B and Dabrowska, K and Van Hout, Marie Claire and Bujalski, M and Demetrovics, Zsolt (2015) Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) : transnational project on different user groups, user characteristics, extent and patterns of use, market dynamics, and best practices in prevention.