Innovative methods for understanding drug markets and policy

Drug markets are evolving rapidly, with new substances creating new risks that demand appropriate approaches to health, prevention, and harm reduction. In response, monitoring drug markets has become increasingly important. This session will provide attendees with insights into innovative methods for tracking drug markets and patterns of use. Topics include a wastewater-based approach to monitor shifting drug use trends across diverse socio-demographic areas, the use of foresight studies to anticipate future drug-related challenges and inform proactive policies, a novel study using hair analysis to detect emerging trends and new psychoactive substances, and a proposal to improve drug market monitoring by integrating multiple data sources.