The UN warns of an emerging threat from new psychoactive substances (NPS), often modified from natural plants like Khat. While Opium and Cannabis are controlled, many plants with addiction potential remain unmonitored. This review examines the pharmacology, toxicology, and chemical synthesis of five such NPS, including magic mushrooms, highlighting their impact on medicine. Addressing criminal liability, criminology, and psychiatry, it underscores the need for greater awareness. Such substances, relevant to traditional medicine and drug studies, involve complex alkaloid understanding.
Although methamphetamine remains a problem, new psychoactive substances (NPS) have become an emerging issue in both Taiwan and South Korea, though their patterns differ. Taiwan seizes much larger quantities of NPS, particularly ketamine, despite having far fewer controlled NPS items than Korea. These differences suggest the NPS come from different sources. Factors beyond geographical proximity, including drug policy and drug availability and accessibility, help explain the current status of illegal drug use in the two countries.