By Keith Williams, Ph.D. - Business Manager, Analytical Standards Europe, Cayman Chemical

Over the last 23 years, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Early Warning System (EMCDDA EWS) has monitored the appearance of new psychoactive substances (NPS) throughout Europe. Between 1997 and 2018, 731 substances were identified and notified through this system. The most recent EMCDDA Drug Report in June 2019 updated the well-established graph showing the number and types of NPS appearing annually between 2005 and 2018. The graph clearly illustrates the peak of 101 notified NPS in 2014, and the drop to just over 50 in 2017 and 2018. While previously synthetic cannabinoids, arylcyclohexylamines, and other substances overshadowed other categories, no one group of substances has clearly dominated in the past two years.

Number and Categories of NPS Notified to the EU 

Early Warning System for the First Time, 2005-2018

Data from the 2019 EMCDDA report, page 33

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/11364/20191724_TDAT19001ENN_PDF.pdf.

The 2020 EMCDDA report has yet to be published, but it is expected that the amount of NPS reported in 2019 will be similar to that of both 2017 and 2018. Cayman remains a leader in producing reference materials for the scientific community and continually monitors requests for NPS reference materials. The following products have been quickly made available to address the notifications. Our scientists will continue to make progress synthesizing newly identified NPS as quickly as we are aware of a need for reference materials.

NPS Identified in Europe in 2019

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