Toxicology in international drug control —Prioritizing the most harmful, persistent and prevalent substances

The nature of the global drugs market has evolved rapidly and become more complex with the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), some of which have been associated with increased abuse, hospital emergency admissions and sometimes fatalities. NPS are characterised by geographic heterogeneity, with some only transient in nature and others not satisfying the criteria for harm required for international control. Consequently, a pragmatic response of the international community is to prioritise the most harmful, persistent and prevalent substances for action − an objective, which is hampered by the paucity of data on harms.

Source: Forensic Science International - November 18, 2016 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Susan C. Ifeagwu, Martin Raithelhuber, Conor Crean, Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Heesun Cheung, Justice N. Tettey Source Type: research