Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 12:43 am
Time: 12:43 am
Results for psychoactive drugs
4 results foundAuthor: Kelleher, Cathy Title: An Overview of New Psychoactive Substances and the Outlets Supplying Them Summary: This report represents the outcome of a review of new psychoactive substances within the Irish context, including a review of the outlets that supply these substances. The review was commissioned by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) in accordance with Action 14 of the National Drugs Strategy (interim) 2009–2016. Action 14 provides for the monitoring of ‘head shops’ and other outlets for the sale of psychoactive substances, under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 2007. Researchers at the Centre for Social and Educational Research (CSER) within the School of Social Sciences and Law at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), and at the School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DIT), conducted the review between May and August 2010. The proliferation of head shops and online retailers has facilitated the emergence of a range of new psychoactive substances in Ireland. Such outlets have supplied products containing powerful synthetic substances that mimic the common illegal stimulants cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamine; they have also supplied synthetic cannabinoids designed to serve as cannabis substitutes. Often these substances are ‘research chemicals’, with no medicinal value, and where there is little existing knowledge in relation to their safety or toxicity. The location of head shops in prominent areas has highlighted their existence, and has fuelled concerns relating to their unknown potential for causing harm. The ‘head shop phenomenon’ has received unprecedented attention from the general public and the media, while the dynamic nature of the phenomenon has led to demands for a swift and comprehensive response from legislators. In response to the ‘phenomenon’, the Government introduced legal measures, including the control of BZP (March 2009) and the control of mephedrone (May 2010). Also in May 2010, the Government made an Order under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 and 1984 controlling a broad range of new psychoactive substances, including benzylpiperazine derivatives, synthetic cannabinoids and a number of named cathinones. In August 2010, the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 came into operation, making it an offence to sell, import, export or advertise psychoactive substances. This move coincided with a sharp decrease in the number of head shops which had been open for business and a significant decrease in the availability of new psychoactive substances in the few shops remaining open. This review represents the aggregation of available knowledge on new psychoactive substances within the Irish context, and empirical research aimed at providing new insights into this complex phenomenon. Specifically, the review sought to assess the availability and accessibility of new psychoactive substances in retail outlets throughout Ireland and online, and to identify and describe the products, and where possible, their specific contents. A range of new psychoactive substances was acquired and was subjected to Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) chemical analysis in order to identify active constituents. The availability of reference standards for the analysis of new psychoactive substances was also determined. Alongside the analyses, published data in relation to new psychoactive substances and their effects were reviewed and an online survey of users of head shop products or ‘legal highs’ (as they are commonly known) was conducted in order to gain insights into patterns of use and reported effects. To further explore the use and effects of these substances, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both ‘recreational’ users and ‘problem’ drug users. Based on available information and data gathered, a number of risks associated with the use of new psychoactive substances were identified. Harm-reduction measures to minimise risk to users were considered in light of existing advice for users of cannabis and stimulant drugs. Finally, measures taken in other jurisdictions to restrict psychoactive substances were examined. Details: Dublin: National Advisory Committee on Drugs, 2011. 176p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2011 at: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15390/2/NACDoverview3B217396d01.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Ireland URL: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15390/2/NACDoverview3B217396d01.pdf Shelf Number: 122078 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug MarketsDrug Policy (Ireland)Psychoactive Drugs |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs Title: Understanding the 'Spice' Phenomenon Summary: Smokable herbal mixtures under the brand name ‘Spice’ are known to have been sold on the Internet and in various specialised shops since at least 2006 and metadata reports (Google Insights web searches) suggest that those products may have been available as early as 2004. Although advertised as an ‘exotic incense blend which releases a rich aroma’ and ‘not for human consumption’, when smoked, ‘Spice’ products have been reported by some users to have effects similar to those of cannabis. There are a number of products marketed under the ‘Spice’ brand — these include, but are not limited to: Spice Silver, Spice Gold, Spice Diamond, Spice Arctic Synergy, Spice Tropical Synergy, Spice Egypt, etc. In addition, there are many other herbal preparations for which the claim is made that they have a similar make-up to ‘Spice’ — e.g. Yucatan Fire, Smoke, Sence, ChillX, Highdi’s Almdröhner, Earth Impact, Gorillaz, Skunk, Genie, Galaxy Gold, Space Truckin, Solar Flare, Moon Rocks, Blue Lotus, Aroma, Scope, etc. It should be noted that the speed of innovation in this area means that any list of products is likely to become quickly outdated. Following a report from the Swedish Reitox national focal point (NFP), of a small number (around 10) of seizures of ‘Spice’ products in 2007, the Reitox early-warning system (EWS) on new psychoactive substances began, from the start of 2008, formally monitoring these products. However, despite various media reports and users’ accounts on the Internet, little verifiable information on the psychoactive and other effects of ‘Spice’ was officially reported to the EMCDDA prior to December 2008. Towards the end of 2008, forensic investigations were undertaken by German and Austrian authorities in order to identify the psychoactive ingredients of ‘Spice’. On 19 December 2008, the Austrian NFP formally notified to the EMCDDA the new psychoactive substance JWH-018 (Naphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl)methanone) (1) — a synthetic cannabinoid receptor (CB) agonist (2) that had been identified in ‘Spice’ products in Austria by AGES PharmMed (3). The compound was detected in at least three products (Spice Gold, Silver and Diamond). Information received from the German NFP reported that JWH-018 had also been identified a few days earlier (on 15 December) in ‘Spice’ products in Germany by THC-Pharm (Steup, 2008) (4). JWH-018 is a synthetic substance first synthesized in 1995 for experimental purposes. It is a naphthoylindole, which belongs to the aminoalkylindole family (Wiley et al., 1998; Huffman, 2009; Chin et al., 1999), i.e. the chemical structure differs substantially from Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but it produces similar effects in animal experiments and has been reported to be more potent than THC; see Uchiyama, 2009 and Auwärter et al., 2009 for analytical details. JWH-018 has also been reported by Poland, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Finland and Ireland. Details: Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2009. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2012 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_80086_EN_Spice%20Thematic%20paper%20%E2%80%94%20final%20version.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_80086_EN_Spice%20Thematic%20paper%20%E2%80%94%20final%20version.pdf Shelf Number: 125579 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Europe)Psychoactive Drugs |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Global SMART Programme Title: The Challenge of New Psychoactive Substances Summary: UNODC launched the Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme in September 2008. The Programme seeks to enhance the capacity of Member States and authorities in priority regions, to generate, manage, analyse and report synthetic drug information, and to apply this scientific evidence-based knowledge to design the policies and programmes. The Global SMART Programme is being implemented in a gradual phased manner, with East Asia being the first focus priority region. Operations in Latin America started in 2011. This report is the first global situation assessment on new psychoactive substances put forward under the Global SMART Programme and pursuant to Commission on Narcotic Drugs Resolution 55/1 on “Promoting international cooperation in responding to the challenges posed by new psychoactive substances”, which requested the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to provide an update to its 2011 report entitled “Synthetic cannabinoids in herbal products”, addressing a wider range of new psychoactive substances, in addition to synthetic cannabinoids, and to take into consideration the creation of a compilation of new psychoactive substances encountered by Member States, to serve as an early warning advisory. It constitutes the first step in providing consolidated up to-date analysis, based primarily on the information shared by Member States and the International Collaborative Exercise network of drug analysis laboratories. It is hoped that the information on new psychoactive substances presented in this report will make a practical contribution to addressing the significant threat posed by the manufacture, trafficking and use of these substances throughout the world, and place policymakers in a better position to evaluate the drug situation, and to make informed decisions on intervention and prevention strategies. This report provides an overview of the situation throughout the world. It outlines the emergence of different groups of new psychoactive substances in the regions and highlights several key issues associated with these substances, including reported adverse effects associated with their use, the challenges for the identification of these substances and their subsequent control through legislation. While the information presented points towards increasing efforts by the countries to address the NPS problem, it also highlights the need for continued and joint efforts, both at the national as well as regional levels. It is hoped that this report will contribute to a better understanding of the NPS problem and in developing effective strategies to address it. Details: Vienna: Laboratory and Scientific Section United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2013 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/scientific/NPS_2013_SMART.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/scientific/NPS_2013_SMART.pdf Shelf Number: 128358 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Control PoliciesDrug MarketsDrug TraffickingPsychoactive Drugs |
Author: DrugScope Title: Business as usual? A status report on new psychoactive substances (NPS) and 'club drugs' in the UK Summary: Since 2008-2009, there has been a significant increase in interest in, and probable use of, a new breed of synthetic drugs, which can be grouped together under the term New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (A) defines NPS as "psychoactive drugs which are not prohibited by the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and which people in the UK are seeking for intoxicant use". Some definitions, particularly from outside the UK, also include so-called 'club drugs' such as ketamine and GHB/GBL that are not included in the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This brief, status report, encompasses both NPS and 'club drugs' and gives an overview of current sector knowledge and experience on these substances, with consideration given to: - how and why NPS developed; - what we know (and don't know) about prevalence and patterns of use; - early warning systems in place for information sharing; - enforcement and legislative responses; - health impacts and drug-related deaths; - public health information and harm reduction interventions; - case studies of existing treatment and service-level responses. The report is intended to be of use to frontline drug and alcohol workers, managers and commissioners, as well as policy makers. Details: London: DrugScope, 2014. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2014 at: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Policy/BusinessAsUsual.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Policy/BusinessAsUsual.pdf Shelf Number: 133268 Keywords: Club DrugsDrug Abuse and Addiction (U.K.)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug EnforcementPsychoactive DrugsPsychoactive Substances |