title: New psychoactive substances: Current health-related practices and challenges in responding to use and harms in Europe.
abstract: The availability of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Europe has rapidly increased over the last decade. Although prevalence levels of NPS use remain low in the general European population, there are serious concerns associated with more problematic forms of use and harms in particular populations and settings. It has thus become a priority to formulate and implement effective public health responses. However, considerable knowledge gaps remain on current practices as well as on the challenges and needs of European health professionals who are responding to use and harms caused by these substances. The aim of this study was to explore current health responses to NPS, and highlight key issues in order to inform planning and implementation of adequate responses.
  
  
  
  This scoping study was based on a targeted multi-source data collection exercise focusing on the provision of health and drug interventions associated with NPS use and harms, in selected intervention settings across Europe.
  
  
  
  Findings revealed that in the absence of specific evidence, health professionals across most intervention settings rely primarily on acquired expertise with traditional drugs when addressing NPS-related harms. This study also identified a gap in the availability and access to timely and reliable information on NPS to users and health professionals. Health professionals in sexual health settings and custodial settings in contact with certain risk groups reported particular challenges in responding to NPS-related harms.
  
  
  
  Immediate investments are required in expanding substance identification capabilities, competence building among professionals and dissemination of risk information among relevant stakeholders. The risks of neglecting under-served risk populations and failure to address the information needs of health professionals and users on NPS harms in a context of rapid changing drug markets in Europe may have unforeseeable consequences at societal level.
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal. Electronic address: Alessandro.Pirona@emcdda.europa.eu.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirona
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hedrich
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Gelder
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giraudon
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montanari
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Praça Europa 1, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mounteney
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003625:Data Collection; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D040261:Harm Reduction; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D015995:Prevalence; D024382:Professional Role; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D011634:Public Health; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Drug testing; Drugs; Europe; Harm reduction; Health; Interventions; NPS; New psychoactive substances; Prevention; Treatment