NPS: trends, concerns and response strategies

This session explores the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the associated public health risks. One study examines rising gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) use in Australia, highlighting increased hospitalisations and deaths. Another study focuses on synthetic cathinones (SC) in Finland, identifying their role in fatal poisonings. A third study investigates the recent rise of semi-synthetic cannabinoids (SSCs) in Europe, such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), which are being sold openly as legal cannabis replacements.