New psychoactive substances: global markets, glocal threats and the COVID-19 pandemic

A growing number of highly potent substances that pose a high risk of acute poisoning are also being reported. These include synthetic cannabinoids, opioids, benzodiazepines and a range of other substances.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of ‘complex, transboundary, multifactorial’ approaches to tackling health challenges, the need to strengthen health security and the interconnected nature of health in our globalised world.

The effect of the pandemic on the drug situation, including the new psychoactive substances market, is likely to become increasingly important as countries in Europe face the second wave of the outbreak during autumn and winter 2020 and into 2021.