Chiappini Stefania, Schifano Fabrizio
Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, UK.
Brain Sci. 2020 Oct 14;10(10):736. doi: 10.3390/brainsci10100736.
Recently, a range of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs have emerged as being used recreationally, either on their own or in combination with other substances, both licit and illicit, including new psychoactive substances (NPS). Among them, the misuse of prescription drugs involves not only traditionally recorded substances, such as benzodiazepines and opioid pain relievers, but also gabapentinoids (e.g., pregabalin and gabapentin); some antidepressants, e.g., bupropion and venlafaxine; some second-generation antipsychotics, e.g., quetiapine and olanzapine. Moreover, the use of some OTC for recreational purposes appears on the increase, especially in vulnerable categories such as young people/youths, including the use of high dosages of the antidiarrheal loperamide; first-generation antihistamines, e.g., promethazine, cyclizine, and diphenhydramine; cough and cold preparations containing dextromethorphan and/or codeine. In this context, the role of the Internet has rapidly increased, playing a significant role both in the diffusion of emerging trends of drug misuse among users and experimenters, and the marketing, sale, and distribution of drugs through online pharmacies. This phenomenon within the context of a rapidly modifying drug scenario is a globally recognized health problem, determining severe adverse consequences, including fatalities, and represents a challenge for clinicians in general, psychiatrists, public health, and drug-control policies.
最近，一系列处方药和非处方药（OTC）开始被用于娱乐目的，它们单独使用或与其他合法和非法物质（包括新型精神活性物质（NPS））混合使用。其中，处方药的滥用不仅涉及传统记录的物质，如苯二氮卓类药物和阿片类镇痛药，还包括加巴喷丁类药物（如普瑞巴林和加巴喷丁）；一些抗抑郁药，如安非他酮和文拉法辛；一些第二代抗精神病药，如喹硫平和奥氮平。此外，一些非处方药用于娱乐目的的情况似乎在增加，尤其是在年轻人等弱势群体中，包括高剂量使用止泻药洛哌丁胺；第一代抗组胺药，如异丙嗪、赛克利嗪和苯海拉明；含有右美沙芬和/或可待因的止咳和感冒药。在这种情况下，互联网的作用迅速增强，在药物滥用新趋势在使用者和尝试者中的传播以及通过网上药店进行药物营销、销售和分销方面都发挥了重要作用。在快速变化的毒品形势下，这种现象是一个全球公认的健康问题，会导致严重的不良后果，包括死亡，对普通临床医生、精神科医生、公共卫生和药物管制政策来说都是一项挑战。
