title: Toxicology in international drug control-Prioritizing the most harmful, persistent and prevalent substances.
abstract: The nature of the global drugs market has evolved rapidly and has become more complex with the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), some of which have been associated with increased abuse, hospital emergency admissions and sometimes fatalities. NPS are characterized by geographic heterogeneity, with some only transient in nature and others not satisfying the criteria for harm required for international control. Consequently, a pragmatic response of the international community is to prioritize the most harmful, persistent and prevalent substances for action - an objective, which is hampered by the paucity of data on harms. The report describes a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) initiative, in collaboration with the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT), to collect, analyze and share toxicology data at a global level to reinforce the ability of the international community in making informed decisions using a scientific evidence-based approach, in identifying the most harmful NPS.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory and Scientific Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ifeagwu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory and Scientific Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raithelhuber
authors.affiliation: Laboratory and Scientific Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Conor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crean
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University & Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southbank, Australia.
authors.forename: Dimitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerostamoulos
authors.affiliation: Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Heesun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Laboratory and Scientific Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: justice.tettey@unodc.org.
authors.forename: Justice N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Tettey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000506:poisoning; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000506:poisoning; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Early warning; NPS; New psychoactive substances; Toxicology