New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are a group of drugs that are designed to replicate the effects of other illegal substances. People use them for experimental, recreational purposes and some may become dependent on them. NPS usually fall into one of the following four categories: Synthetic cannabinoids (SC), Depressants, Stimulants, and Hallucinogens. They present a challenge due to the significant variation in substances and perceptions of legal status.

Due to the increase of NPS use in secure environments Public Health England (PHE) and partners have developed a toolkit providing information about NPS use in secure custodial settings. This provides information on the extent of use of NPS and how this can be effectively managed. This document summarises the outputs of the review and makes recommendations and next steps for the management of NPS use in secure mental health settings.