National Center on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
International School of Advanced Studies (ISAS), University of Camerino, Piazza Cavour 19/f, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 23;17(22):8704. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228704.
At the end of 2019, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction was monitoring around 790 new psychoactive substances, more than twice the total number of controlled substances under the United Nations Conventions. These substances, which are not subject to international drug controls, include a wide range of molecules, including the assortment of drugs such as synthetic cannabinoids, stimulants, opiates, and benzodiazepines. Most of them are sold as "legal" substitutes for illicit drugs, while others are intended for small groups willing to experiment with them in order to know their possible new effects. At the national level, various measures have been taken to control new substances and many European countries have responded with specific legislation in favor of consumer safety and by extending or adapting existing drug laws to incorporate the new psychoactive substances. Moreover, since 1997, an early warning system has been created in Europe for identifying and responding quickly to the risks of new psychoactive substances. In order to establish a quicker and more effective system to address the criminal activities associated with new dangerous psychoactive substances, the European legal framework has considerably changed over the years.
2019 年底，欧洲毒品和毒瘾监测中心正在监测约 790 种新精神活性物质，是受《联合国公约》管制的物质总数的两倍多。这些不受国际毒品管制的物质包括范围广泛的分子，包括合成大麻素、兴奋剂、阿片类药物和苯二氮䓬类药物等各种药物。其中大部分被作为非法药物的“合法”替代品出售，而其他物质则是供愿意尝试了解其可能的新作用的小群体使用。在国家层面，已经采取了各种措施来控制新物质，许多欧洲国家已经采取了具体的立法措施，以保障消费者安全，并通过扩大或调整现有毒品法，将新精神活性物质纳入其中。此外，自 1997 年以来，欧洲建立了一个早期预警系统，以识别和快速应对新精神活性物质的风险。为了建立一个更快、更有效的系统来应对与新的危险精神活性物质相关的犯罪活动，欧洲法律框架近年来发生了重大变化。
