Nps Legal Highs
The DNA Legal NPS database is the largest in the country with more than 160 different synthetic cannabinoids and more than 300 synthetic drugs. This ensures that DNA Legal can offer the most comprehensive legal highs and synthetic drug tests in the country. You can expect results within 20 business days of the arrival of the samples at our laboratory. In other states and territories in Australia, some NPS substances are banned and new substances are regularly added to the list. This means that a drug that was legal to sell or possess today may be illegal tomorrow. Prohibited substances differ between these states/territories. New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a term coined to describe a wide range of substances designed to simulate the effects of illicit drugs. NPS are often referred to in the media as “legal highs” or “synthetic drugs”; However, these terms can minimize the hazardousness of these substances. There has been a lot of media coverage about so-called legal highs, but how are they fabricated and what`s in them? There is an NPS to mimic any type of illegal drug. This means that there is a synthetic legal version of cannabis, a synthetic legal version of heroin, a legal version of ecstasy, and so on. NPS can be consumed in a variety of ways, as can illegal drugs, including injected, swallowed, smoked and snorted.
NPS packages are colored with catchy names and images. NPS names and brands change due to demand and supply, and there are too many to list here. Learn more about so-called legal highs with Know The Score and Talk To Frank. Drugs containing one or more chemicals with similar effects to drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy – formerly known as NPS “legal highs” – are not covered by the UK`s main law, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, although about one in five NPS contains an illegal substance. There is a “cat-and-mouse game” between the British government, which enacts legislation to control access and legality of these substances, and chemists, who know how to get around loopholes. New psychoactive substances may seem like an unpleasant term, but it`s more accurate than “legal highs.” You`ll always hear people talk about legal highs, and since it`s a widely used term, you might still find it on this website, but they`re all illegal. The advantage of NPS appears to be that these drugs are designed to have similar effects to traditional recreational drugs, but are affordable, widely available and, importantly for many, legal.6 Users of existing drugs may be encouraged by the fact that most NPS are undetectable in urine screenings.7 The majority of NPS are synthetic cannabinoids, with a significant proportion of stimulants.2 However, the reality is that NPS is difficult to categorize because NPS products can be chemically similar but have very different psychotropic effects.5 In addition, the compounds are often mixed. Synthetic cannabinoids are typically sold in products combined with benzodiazepines, hallucinogens or stimulants.5 They are known to be much more potent than cannabis, raising concerns about their long-term health effects.
In addition, dependence can occur after relatively short-term use.5 With the recent introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act,12 steps are being taken to prohibit the production, distribution and sale of NPS. However, in the absence of legislation, the consumption of “legal highs” continues to increase. More research is needed on the short- and long-term consequences of use and on the most appropriate therapeutic approach to treat patients taking NPS. The main effects of almost all psychoactive drugs, including the so-called legal highs, can be described using the following four main categories. Although drugs in each of these categories have similar effects in their products, they will have very different strengths and effects on different people. Despite a general decline in drug abuse in recent years, the use of so-called “legal highs” or new psychoactive substances (NPS) has increased exponentially, with new brands, chemicals and products multiplying rapidly in a new and evolving market. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently reported more than twice as many new substances as it did 2 years ago.2 In addition, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction reports that two new NPS are available on the European market almost every week.3 In the face of such a rapidly growing market, It is difficult to track what these products contain, what their psychoactive effects are and how best to treat the patients who take them. DNA Legal tests more than 460 legal highs and synthetic drugs.
The NPS can be divided into three main categories: The law was changed in 2016 and so-called “legal highs” are now illegal. An initial assessment should include more detailed information about the patient`s drug use, risk behaviours, and the physical and psychological consequences of drug use from which the patient may suffer.9,10 This then allows for a needs assessment, while general practice intervention can be carried out with the aim of abstinence or harm reduction. It is important to make patients understand that just because “legal highs” are legal does not mean they are safe and can cause significant harm by using them. Patients can be referred to additional sources of help, including UK Drug Watch information materials for drug-specific information11 and the Angelus Foundation website (www.angelusfoundation.org.uk) for information and specific support for legal highs. Patients who seek additional help, engage in risky behaviour, or experience recurrent harm from NPS use may be referred to specialized addiction services for ongoing treatment.5 A retrospective look at the history of drug abuse shows that synthetic recreational drugs have been available in various forms since the 1920s. However, the development of the Internet seems to have been the catalyst for the explosion in the use of NSP6, as virtual communication allows the rapid dissemination of information between manufacturers, retailers and users. Not only is it possible to purchase a multi-purchase offer of the latest legal high online, but consumers can also access many forums to discuss the impact of these products and get recommendations for products that offer a similar high. For those who are not interested in buying online, headshops have sprung up on the main street where it is possible to buy the “legal high” of one`s choice.6 Since NPS are not covered by international drug control conventions, their legal status can vary considerably from country to country. As of 2021, more than 60 countries have implemented legal measures to control NPS, and many countries are using or amending existing legislation and other innovative legal instruments. Several countries, where a large number of different NPS have emerged rapidly, have introduced controls for entire groups of NPS using a so-called generic approach, or have introduced similar legislation based on the principle of “chemical similarity” to an already controlled substance with control substances that are not explicitly mentioned in the legislation. At the international level, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs has decided by March 2021 to place 68 NPS under international control. These control measures must be transposed into the national legal framework of each country.
To learn more about the different legal measures around the world, click here. The Law on Psychoactive Substances came into force in May 2016, making it illegal to supply and manufacture these drugs. While we feel confident enough to treat a patient who has injected heroin, treating a patient who has smoked “Blast Off,” sniffed “Charly Sheen,” or injected “Magic Dragon” may not be as easy. Toxbase`s guidelines for synthetic stimulants, hallucinogens and pathogens are, if at all, rare,4 and the fact that there is no way to know what chemicals these products contain is the problem, as treating physicians cannot know which chemicals to refer to on Toxbase.