New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a range of drugs that have been designed to mimic established illicit drugs, such as cannabis, cocaine, MDMA and LSD.

Manufacturers of these drugs develop new chemicals to replace those that are banned, which means that the chemical structures of the drugs are constantly changing to try to stay ahead of the law.

NPS include Legal highs, herbal highs, party pills, synthetic cocaine, synthetic cannabis, herbal ecstasy, NBOMes, bath salts, plant fertiliser, herbal incense, room deodorisers, aphrodisiac tea, social tonics, new and emerging drugs (NEDs). These products can sometimes be marked ‘not for human consumption’.

NPS are relatively new, so there is limited information available about their short and long-term effects. However, synthetic cannabinoids have been reported to have more serious side-effects than cannabis.

NPS can be categorised into the following groups:

A. Synthetic cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids (“synthetic marijuana”, “Spice”, “K2”)  are various manmade chemicals that some people may use as an alternative to marijuana. They have been sold online since 2004. These powdered chemicals are mixed with solvents and added to herbs and sold in colourful, branded packets. It can cause serious side effects that are very different from those of marijuana.

People who smoke these products can react with rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion, and hallucinations. 

B. Synthetic cathinones (“Bath Salts”)

Synthetic cathinones is the name of a category of drugs related to the naturally occurring khat plant. They are stimulants, meaning that they speed up the messages between the brain and the body and have similar effects to amphetamines.

Illicit synthetic cathinones are more commonly known as “bath salts”.Some synthetic cathinones, such as bupropion, are medicines approved to treat specific conditions or are being investigated as potential treatments for substance use disorders.

C. Phencyclidine-type substances (novel dissociatives)

Phencyclidine-type substances (also known as novel dissociatives) are structurally similar to phencyclidine (PCP) and ketamine and are classified as arylcycloalklamines.PCP was sold as an injectable anaesthetic in the USA until 1967 and was withdrawn from the market due to the negative effects. 

Harmful effects of NPS

The above drugs are just part of NPS. Given the chemicals in these drugs are constantly changing to try to stay ahead of the law, it’s possible to receive a very different product from batch to batch, even if the packaging and name are the same.

The purity and composition of some NPS are unknown, putting users at grave risk, as evidenced by hospital emergency admissions and deaths linked to NPS, frequently including cases of polysubstance use.

(to be continued)

【1】the Alcohol and Drug Foundation of Australia: New psychoactive substances

【2】Wikipedia

【3】National Library of Medicine: New Psychoactive Substances: A Potential Threat to Developing Countries 2023 Apr 29. doi: 10.34172/ahj.2023.1411