Adulteration Practices of Psychoactive Illicit Drugs: An Updated Review

Abstract

The wide availability of illicit psychotropic drugs is the most serious hazard threatening consumers. Indeed emergency departments are often responsible in evaluating damages caused not only by the base substance, but also by other eventual compounds added to mimic or antagonize drug effects or simply dilute the drug amount, with a possible harmful synergic toxic action.

Abuse of Prescription Drugs in the Context of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS): A Systematic Review

“…While anti-asthmatic clenbuterol dosage ranges between 20 and 40mcg daily, the typical ‘fat burning’ dose is in the 120–160 mcg daily range; dosage starts at 40 mcg daily, gradually increases, and then remains at the highest dosage for a duration of 2–4 weeks [ 142 ]. In parallel with this, recent years have seen an increase in clenbuterol exposure reported to poison control centres [ 143 ], with the molecule being used either as a dietary supplement [ 144 ] or as an adulterant in illicit drugs, such as cocaine [ 145 ]. Its adverse effects are dose-dependent and may include dysrhythmias and myocardial injury, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, and rhabdomyolysis [ 136 , 146 , 147 , 148 ].…”

Consequences of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Misuse and Marketing of Addictive Substances and New Psychoactive Substances

“…Due to high addiction liability, we suppose that the global shortage of heroin may have forced regular users to take other substances with similar effects, such as fentanyl analogs. Moreover, the low quantity of heroin available may have been adulterated with other psychotropic molecules to obtain more potent mixtures at cheaper costs (7,19). In our opinion, the production of new NPS and NPS use are also expected to increase due to several factors.…”

New Trends of Substance Abuse During COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Perspective

“…In addition to drug addicts using prescription sedatives available at home, some may have shifted to narcotics such as new synthetic opioids or designer benzodiazepines, available online. Indeed, these two classes of new psychoactive substances showed the highest consumption increase in 2019 (16)(17)(18)(19).…”