Suchergebnisse

In 2018, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) reported the appearance of new psychoactive substances (NPS) on European Union (EU) at a rate of about one per week for a total of 55 new drugs detected in 2018. On one hand, this figure is similar to that communicated in 2017 (N=51) and both of them are significantly lower if compared to those, above one hundred, appeared in 2014 and 2015. On the other hand, it has to be underlined that there has been a change in the type of substances coming into illegal market, since the most recent new psychoactive substances are increasingly more targeted in the long-term and to drug users with more addictive behavior. Specifically, new synthetic opioids and benzodiazepines are now the most reported substances by the EU Early Warning System, together with a distinct range of other recreational substances. The epidemics of both classes of substances come from United States and Canada, where both caused severe intoxications and fatalities purposely related to the use of synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl derivatives. Although these two phenomena have not been so diffused in Europe, concerns do exist also in this area. About 50 new synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl illicit analogs, have been reported up to now to the EU Early Warning System and the seizures of carfentanil, one of the most hazardous and potent opioids, have been particularly alarming. In this latter case and in that of many other fentanyl derivatives, due to the extreme potency of these compounds, they can be trafficked in very small quantities, which are difficult to detect. In addition, the synthetic opioids and new illegal benzodiazepine share the occurrence that they have been sold as fake kinds of commonly prescribed pain-relievers and antianxiety drugs. Regarding synthetic opioids, the fake OxyContin tablets containing metoxyacetylfentanyl, or fentanyl itself, have been reported by EU early warning system in the last two years. In case of new benzodiazepines, some of these are trafficked as fake types of Xanax, containing alprazolam or other compounds of the same class but illegally produced and sold, or even containing fentanyl and analogs. In this concern, the values of accurate and immediately available toxicological and forensic data are crucial.

We investigated acute and chronic exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in a cohort of young adolescents using urinary cotinine and hair nicotine testing after recent implementation of Italian smoke free legislation. Study subjects were 372 Italian young adolescents, between 10 and 16 years of age from the principal city of Sicily, Palermo. Urine and hair samples were collected between November 2005 and May 2006, when the legislation to ban smoking in all the enclosed places of employment (including bars, restaurants, pubs) was completely enforced. An exhaustive questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics and active and passive exposure to cigarette smoking was completed. Urinary cotinine was analyzed by radioimmunoassay and hair nicotine by a validated GC/MS method. Based on urinary cotinine results, 2.1% and 89% of the study participants, respectively, showed non-exposure and low acute exposure to ETS, whereas only 1.6% presented very high exposure or a hidden active smoking habit in the recent past. Hair nicotine disclosed non-exposure and low exposure to ETS in 11.8% and 65.6% of the young adolescents, respectively, taking into consideration a larger time-window. High repeated exposure, suggesting active smoking in some cases was observed in 8.6% of the study subjects. Hair nicotine was inversely related to educational level of the adolescents' parents. Overall, due to the implementation of smoke-free legislation and information campaign against smoking, a significant trend toward low exposure to ETS was observed in this study cohort with no association between exposure to ETS and respiratory illnesses.

At the end of the 90s in Europe, the new psychoactive substances (NPS) phenomenon was limited to a small number of molecules created to mimic the actions and psychoactive effects of licensed medicines and existing drugs that are controlled by the United Nations drug conventions and therefore traded as their "legal" replacements. NPS were mostly circulating in rave parties and electronic music festivals. The globalization, the evolution of e-commerce and the growing popularity of NPS, facilitated the development of a wide illegal market in constant expansion. The dynamic nature of this phenomenon has led to an evolution in the prevention and monitoring of NPS trafficking within the European Union. The European legislative system has been amended with the aim of creating a faster and more effective regulatory system to tackle NPS diffusion and ban their sale and circulation. At the end of 2008, in compliance with the European Council Decision 2005/387/JHA, the Anti-Drug Policies Department of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers activated the National Early Warning System to promote a rapid exchange of information on NPS between Italy and the EU.

Introduction: The abuse of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) has been a major issue since the 1990s, due to the significant impact this phenomenon has on the society and public health. The Italian legislation, in line with the European legislation, is aimed to limit the NPS use in the Country through different intervention strategies. Methods: The Department for Anti-Drug Policies (DPA) of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, has activated in Italy the National Early Warning System (SNAP) on NSP reporting, aimed at the early detection of potentially health-threatening phenomena related to the appearance of NPSs in the market. A second aim of the SNAP is the promotion of the technical-analytical expertise of laboratories for the detection of these substances. Since June 2016, the DPA, where the National Focal Point (NFP) for the verification of the phenomenon of drug dependence is established, has entrusted the coordination of SNAP with the National Centre for Addiction and Doping (NCAD) of the "Istituto Superiore di Sanità". The Centre works with several partners, including the Pavia Poison Control Centre for clinical toxicology, the Unit of Forensic Toxicology of Sapienza University of Rome for bio-toxicological aspects, and the Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Services for national coordination of seizures operated by law enforcement agencies. To implement this network of collaboration, the NCAD has developed and activated a strategic 'web application' that simplifies the collection of information across the Country, optimizing incoming/outgoing reports between all the involved authorities. Results: The analysis of the information collected on NPS during 2020 through the SNAP platform, highlighted the circulation of 47 NSPs in Europe, including two synthetic cannabinoids with potential public health risks and the emergence of NPS belonging to the class of benzodiazepines and the benzimidazole family. Conclusions: The SNAP is an important tool for identifying and notifying the spread of NSPs in our ...