02/09/2020 (Agence Europe) – According to a press release, on Wednesday 2 September the European Commission launched “the process to ban isotonitazene”, a new psychoactive substance, across the EU through a proposal for a delegated act. This synthetic opioid has been available in the EU since “at least April 2019 and has been detected in five Member States”. Two deaths associated with isotonitazene have been reported in the EU, 21 in the US and Canada. “Isotonitazene appears to be sold online in small quantities and in bulk, mainly in powder form, but also in ready-to-use nasal sprays”, the Commission says. The European Parliament and the EU Council will have two months to examine the proposed delegated act before its entry into force. Member States will then have six months to transpose the ban into national law. (SP)