Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) Dominate the Illicit Drug Market

Drug Enforcement Tech

Posted by AI on 2025-09-09 08:50:35 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-09 14:24:02

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The opioid crisis in the US took a turn for the worse with the proliferation of fentanyl, and new threats are rapidly emerging. One of them is xylazine, a nonopioid tranquilizer that causes severe adverse effects and is sometimes combined with fentanyl. Given the ever-changing nature of the illicit drug market, it is imperative to implement a modern approach to warning people about the dangerous substances they consume. Now more than ever, we need timely and comprehensive data to combat the opioid crisis and save hundreds of thousands of lives.

The opioid crisis took a turn for the worst in the last decade with the proliferation of fentanyl, an inexpensive yet potent synthetic opioid that has flooded the illicit drug market. Now, a new threat has emerged: xylazine, a nonopioid tranquilizer commonly used in veterinary practices. The drug has infiltrated the illicit market, often in combination with fentanyl, and is responsible for a surge in overdose deaths across the United States. Warnings about the dangers of xylazine, a drug that can cause severe adverse effects and injection site wounds that lead to necrosis or amputation, have only recently emerged.

The dynamic and ever-changing nature of the illicit drug market has led to a demand for timely and comprehensive data to combat the crisis. While forensic drug chemists identify illegal substances for criminal investigations, they often do not report on harmful substances that are not illegal, which poses a problem. Forensic toxicologists, on the other hand, focus on identifying substances that lead to an overdose or were present in a person at the time of death, and their drug panels do not often include new substances. Public health officials rely on immunoassay fentanyl test strips that can only detect fentanyl and some of its analogues and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which can only detect the major components of mixtures. This is a major bottleneck in the system and prevents real-time alerts about deadly new drugs.

To combat the crisis, it is imperative to implement a modern approach to warning people about the dangerous substances they consume. Same-day analysis and comprehensive reporting of drug paraphernalia residues can provide timely information about the content of illicit drugs. This information has already led to behavioral changes and better outcomes in people who use drugs in trials. To facilitate this process, it is essential to promote data sharing, unify reporting, and emphasize rapid analysis using existing technologies to get closer to this goal. Machine learning and algorithms can contribute to identifying new substances where no library entry exists, a crucial advancement to combat the ongoing crisis.

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