title: Frequency and structure of stimulant designer drug consumption among suspected drug users in Budapest and South-East Hungary in 2012-2013.
abstract: Identification of abuse and frequency patterns of stimulant designer drugs (SDDs) provides important information for their risk assessment and legislative control. In the present study urine and/or blood samples of suspected drug users in criminal cases were analysed by GC-MS for 38 SDDs, and for the most frequent illicit and psychoactive licit drugs in Hungary. Between July 2012 and June 2013, 2744 suspected drug users were sampled in Budapest and during 2012 and 2013, 774 persons were sampled in South-East Hungary (Csongrád County - neighbour the Romanian and Serbian borders). In Budapest 71.4% of cases, and in South-East Hungary 61% of cases were positive for at least one substance. Pentedrone was the most frequent SDD in both regions; however, the frequency distribution of the remaining drugs was highly diverse. SDDs were frequently present in combination with other drugs - generally with amphetamine or other stimulants, cannabis and/or benzodiazepines. The quarterly distribution of positive samples indicated remarkable seasonal changes in the frequency and pattern of consumption. Substances placed on the list of illicit drugs (mephedrone, 4-fluoro-amphetamine, MDPV, methylone, 4-MEC) showed a subsequent drop in frequency and were replaced by other SDDs (pentedrone, 3-MMC, methiopropamine, etc.). Newly identified compounds from seized materials were added to the list of new psychoactive substances ("Schedule C"). While the risk assessment of substances listed in Schedule C has to be performed within 2 years after scheduling, continuous monitoring of their presence and frequency among drug users is essential. In summary, our results suggest which substances should be dropped from the list of SDDs measured in biological samples; while the appearance of new substances from seized materials indicate the need for developing adequate standard analytical methods.
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary. Electronic address: institoris.laszlo@med.u-szeged.hu.
authors: László
authors: L
authors: Institóris
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Zsófia
authors: Z
authors: Árok
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Katalin
authors: K
authors: Seprenyi
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Tibor
authors: T
authors: Varga
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Sára-Klausz
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Éva
authors: É
authors: Keller
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Réka A
authors: RA
authors: Tóth
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Sala
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Éva
authors: É
authors: Kereszty
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Kálmán
authors: K
authors: Róna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: Biological samples; Frequency; Hungary; Stimulant designer drugs; Suspected drug users