Brussels, 12/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - New psychoactive substances are becoming widely available at an “unprecedented pace” on the European market. This conclusion was reached in the 2010 joint annual report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol, presented in Lisbon on Wednesday 11 May during the 11th annual meeting of the EMCDDA-Reitox early-warning system (EWS) network, and the day after the G8 on drugs. In 2010, a record number of new drugs were officially reported to the EMCDDA and to Europol, with a total of 41 new psychoactive substances officially notified for the first time to the two agencies in 2010, a joint press release from the two bodies states.
“This represents the largest number of substances ever reported in a single year, considerably up on 2009 (24 substances) and 2008 (13 substances). The full list of substances notified, annexed to the report, shows a 'rather diverse' group, including: synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, synthetic derivatives of well-established drugs, as well as one plant-based substance”, the press release reads. As far as the so-called “Spice” phenomenon is concerned, 11 new synthetic cannabinoids were picked up in 2010, “bringing the total number of these substances monitored by the EWS up to 27”.
In their report, Europol and the EMCDDA also speak of their monitoring possibility given the fact that “a large number of new unregulated synthetic compounds” are now “marketed on the internet as 'legal highs'”. According to Wolfgang Götz, EMCDDA Director, “while our early-warning system has recently upped its operational capacity to react rapidly to new substances and products identified, it currently lacks the ability to anticipate emerging threats”. He suggests: “This could be addressed by actively purchasing, synthesising and studying new compounds and by improving our capacity for investigative forensic analysis and research at European level”. Europol Director Rob Wainwright adds to this: “The emergence of 'legal highs' is a major feature of Europe's drugs problem today. (…) Organised crime groups are increasingly active in producing and distributing drugs which can be associated with ecstasy”. (S.P./transl.jl)