New psychoactive substances: driving greater complexity into the drug problem

Abstract

The world is becoming increasingly complex. Part of the fallout from this is a steady stream of new risks that emerge and that can threaten public health. Some are familiar, others are novel. Spurred by globalisation the (re)emergence and spread of infectious diseases and the growth of the market in unlicensed and fake medicines are just two examples of policy areas that have required extensive changes to their regulatory systems -both at the level of legislation and implementation -to better manage such risks [e.g. 1,2]. Further changes may be required in the future as new risks emerge. The field of drugs has not been immune to these global changes either [3]. As Reuter and Pardo note [4], one particular challenge are new psychoactive substances -a textbook, if not a little unorthodox, example of what can happen when entrepreneurs exploit globalisation and technology.

Identification of pyrolysis products of the new psychoactive substance 2‐amino‐1‐(4‐bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)ethanone hydrochloride (bk‐2C‐B) and its iodo analogue bk‐2C‐I

“…The retention times increased as a reflection of increased mass of the iodine substituent. Products analogous to bk-2C-B (1-4), (6)(7)(8) and (10) were also formed during the pyrolysis of bk-2C-I. Two additional pyrolysis products were detected and tentatively identified through interpretation of their EI mass spectra.…”

“…The stereochemistry of the halogen addition also supports a haemolysis. Products (1a), (1b), (2), (3), (5), (7). and (8) also lost the beta ketone.…”

“…[16,18] The (1b) and (4) represented reactions at the benzene ring, presumably through the formation of an alcohol from the associated methoxy group. Products (5), (7)(8)(9), and (11) were the result of halogenation. Several products resulted from bond cleavage of either the α-β C-C bond (1a) or the C-N bond (2-4, 6) and similar products were detected in the pyrolysis of both methamphetamine and methiopropamine.…”

“…[4] In the last decade, the number of unregulated psychoactive substances available for purchase via the Internet and high street shops has grown significantly, which has created challenges for policymakers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, and researchers across disciplines. [5][6][7] One of the phenethylamine analogues emerging on the NPS market in more recent years was 2-amino-1-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanone hydrochloride (bk-2C-B) (Figure 1), the beta-keto analogue of the popular psychedelic 2-(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethan-1-amine (2C-B). The detection of bk-2C-B on the European market was first reported to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in December 2013 [8] and it has since been detected in other European countries including, for example Italy.…”

‘APAAN in the neck’ – A reflection on some novel impurities found in seized materials containing amphetamine in Ireland during routine forensic analysis

“…Analytical strategies and methods are devised to allow for typical seizures to be examined in a routine and efficient manner. [13][14][15][16][17] Many forensic laboratories have to use analytical techniques not previously routinely utilized in their respective laboratories to uniquely identify compounds. The routine analytical methods employed should identify both known and generally encountered controlled drugs and also indicate the presence of newly encountered substances.…”