World Experts Assemble to Debate Novel Psychoactive Substances

LONDON, May 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Over the last 10 years, many novel (or new) psychoactive drugs (NPS) have become available and around two new psychoactive substances are detected each week on the drug market in Europe. The regular development of new NPS, combined with the internet's ability to spread information quickly, presents a number of challenges for public health across the globe. In order to increase knowledge and understanding about the nature and effects of NPS, as well as promote innovative solutions in the field, the fourth international conference on NPS takes place next week (30-31 May) in Budapest, Hungary.

The conference is co-organised by the University of Hertfordshire, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), World-Anti-Doping Agency, Sapienza University of Rome and Eötvös Loránd University. It will be attended by over 200 participants from 28 countries.

Novel psychoactive drugs are often advertised via the Internet as being safer and legal alternatives to illicit drugs. However, information on their effects is minimal or inaccurate - they can be just as harmful and addictive as illegal drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy or ketamine. This has prompted the UK government to introduce the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 which comes into force today.  

Dr Ornella Corazza, Reader in Substance Addictions and Behaviours at the University of Hertfordshire, and founder of the conference series, said: "These drugs appear very quickly on the drug market in ever more sophisticated forms and may well have widespread and long-term effects on users' health. Entrepreneurs, and increasingly criminal groups, have realised that new substances often sit in a legal grey area and this has led to the rapid emergence of profitable, new businesses."

Many of the new psychoactive substances are research chemicals, often waste products from drug research. There is now strong evidence that some of these new substances are causing a wide range of serious health problems, including acute poisoning and even death.

A number of projects, headed by the University of Hertfordshire and funded by the European Commission, have improved intelligence and data on the availability and misuse of over 800 new psychoactive substances.

Dr Corazza continued: "We currently provide evidence-based information on new psychoactive substances and services to vulnerable individuals, health professionals, policy makers and regulatory authorities internationally. This has increased awareness of risks, health prevention initiatives, policies and treatment provision in a rather unique way."

"In 2015 almost 100 new substances were reported for the first time according to the EU Early Warning System, which now monitors more than 560 new products, with over 70% of these identified over the past five years."

Experts at the conference will discuss a wide range of topics, including the new psychoactive substances bill in the UK, the rapid, and possibly related, diffusion of performance and image enhancing drugs, new drug trends and motivations behind the consumption of NPS.

For further information on the conference, please visit the conference website at http://www.novelpsychoactivesubstances.org/

Notes to Editors 

About the University of Hertfordshire: 

• The University's vision is to be internationally renowned as the UK's leading business-facing university. It is innovative and enterprising and challenges individuals and organisations to excel.   
• The University of Hertfordshire is one of the region's largest employers with over 2,700 staff and a turnover of over £238 million. 
• With a student community of over 24,800 including more than 4,100 overseas students from 100 different countries, the University has a global network of over 210,000 alumni.  
• It is also one of the top 150 universities in the world under 50 years old, according to the new Times Higher Education 150 under 50 rankings 2016. 
• For more information, please visit http://www.herts.ac.uk