Drugs of abuse

The illicit drug market is constantly changing and evolving. The most prevalent drugs continue to be cannabis, amphetamine-type substances, cocaine and heroin, however relatively new or novel psychoactive substances also rapidly appear on the market, particularly since 2008, with varying degrees of societal impact. For example, the increasingly prevalent nonmedical use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its increasingly novel and diverse analogues is a clear threat to public health and a continually emerging challenge to criminal justice systems and clinical and forensic scientists worldwide. Production and distribution methods can change due to innovations and alterations in drug synthesis, production methods and supply networks, as can the types of drugs synthesized in response to local and global legislation and demand. This article provides an introductory overview of the drugs most commonly analyzed by forensic drug and toxicology laboratories and clinical toxicology laboratories as well as looking at recent developments in the new psychoactive substances (NPS) market.