New psychoactive substances
Dorte Fris Palmqvist, Ragnar Thomsen, Brian Schou Rasmussen, Maha Said, Nanna Reiter
Ugeskrift for Læger May 18, 2026 DOI: 10.61409/v10250795 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Potency Recreational drug Recreational use Public health Mephedrone Pharmacology Environmental health |
| Key findings | Argues that monitoring of new psychoactive substances is essential to update legislation, reduce exposure, and guide clinical practice. |
Abstract
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are substances not controlled by UN conventions and they pose a threat to public health. The number of NPS on the recreational market is increasing each year. NPS are classified into six categories based on pharmacological properties: sedatives, opioids, stimulants, hallucinogens, dissociatives and cannabinoids. NPS are easily accessible, vary in potency and composition, and many clinicians lack experience in treating intoxications with these compounds. Monitoring of NPS is essential to update legislation, reduce exposure and guide clinical practice, as argued in this review.