Variations and determinants of novel psychoactive substance use

The public health impact of increasingly dynamic and complex drug scenes (EMCDDA 2017, UNDOC 2017) remain of global concern. ‘New psycho-actives’ (NPS) are a contributor to this changing polydrug use vista. Knowledge of multiple substance use and analysis of overlaps between different drug using populations, especially with regard to NPS is limited with theoretical and empirical evidence persistently falling behind the adoption of consumption practices. This paper reports on a mixed method study (funded by NIHR) providing new empirical public health-related research evidence on novel psychoactive substances (NPS).

The session will be structured around methods, results and consideration of the findings of this study.