Novel Psychoactive Substances: The Next Generation Of Legal Highs
With the ever-growing popularity of designer drugs, it is no surprise that novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are becoming more and more popular. So, what are NPS? And what does it mean for you? Whether you are a patrol cop, a narc, a jail deputy, an educator or a business professional, you will be dealing with novel psychoactive substances at some point. They are popular and they are the future of drug abuse.
What Are Novel Psychoactive Substances?
Novel psychoactive substances are a relatively new class of drugs that have been developed in response to the increasing restrictions on traditional drugs of abuse. These substances are often designed to mimic the effects of established drugs like cannabis, cocaine, or ecstasy, but they are not necessarily illegal. This is the draw for many people. They can get high from a drug they normally take, but without the risk of arrest or discovery during a drug test at work.
Many of these substances are sold online as "legal highs" and are not subject to the same regulations as traditional drugs. These drugs can produce some serious effects on users. As an example, there are several opioids that are coming to the market that rival the potency of fentanyl. Mexican drug cartel and Chinese chemists are hard at work developing new drugs. So much so that almost two new NPS drugs come to the market each week.
How Did the Term Novel Psychoactive Substance Come From?
The term "novel psychoactive substance" was first coined in 1988 by the United Kingdom's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). The ACMD was created to provide advice to the UK government on drug policy. At the time, the ACMD was concerned about new psychoactive substances (NPS) entering the UK market and causing harm. NPS are substances that are not currently controlled under UK drug laws. The ACMD created the term "novel psychoactive substance" to refer to these substances.
NPS drugs are also sometimes referred to as "Legal Highs" and are just synthetic drugs.
How are Novel Psychoactive Substances Developed?
Some psychoactive substances (NPSs) were designed to become a pharmaceutical drug to help people. Most times these drugs go no further than the laboratory, so the scientist that developed the drug will write a paper on it and then patent the discovery in hopes of it making a difference later down the road. However, rogue chemists in China and Mexico will take that old development and mass produce it and sell it on the internet. This is called patent piracy. Once that drug is scheduled and made illegal, the chemist will change one molecule to skirt the new law. A great example of this is the synthetic opioid U-47700. This drug came to the illicit market and was very popular very quickly. After a few fatal overdoses, the drug was placed into schedule I making it a felony to possess. The next day U-48800 was being advertised as a new "plant food." This drug was just a chemical remake of U-47700. It was a new drug that gave the same results and was totally legal. This continued for several iterations.
How to Spot a Novel Psychoactive Substance
Novel psychoactive substances come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are simply a white powder that looks like cocaine. I've seen others that look like methamphetamine crystals. Some synthetic cannabinoids are a white powder that is mixed with acetone and then sprayed on vegetable matter and then smoked like marijuana. While others are in pill form or in brown crystals. I've seen an LSD offshoot that comes in blotter paper just like LSD. Basically, it looks like all the other street drugs you've been dealing with. You will only be able to tell the difference after you test the substance in a lab.
Signs and Symptoms of Novel Psychoactive Substance Use
The signs and symptoms will vary significantly. It is important to evaluate the person who is under the influence of these drugs and then call the category that you see. As an example, I have evaluated people that I suspected were using synthetic cannabinoids. However, they did not look like they were under the influence of Cannabis. I had some that looked like a Stimulant while another like a Dissociative Anesthetic. It's important to call the category of drugs that you see, not necessarily the drug category you think the drug they took is in.
NPS drugs are here to stay. They will only gain in popularity as rogue criminal chemists make new concoctions that the public is demanding. The best thing you can do is educate yourself in Drug Abuse Recognition (DAR) and keep abreast of the trends. The best way to do that is to subscribe to my newsletter and take my classes at OnlineDrugTraining.com.
