VIENNA, Austria – February 2020: The second volume of the Current NPS Threats was published with information from the UNODC Early Warning Advisory on NPS. Data from seizure reports, post-mortem toxicology cases, clinical admissions, and other casework allowed the identification of some key recent developments regarding health threats posed by NPS. Similar to volume I, the new report illustrates that poly-drug use continues to feature highly in cases of fatalities associated with NPS. In some countries, benzodiazepine-type NPS are increasingly associated in cases of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) (Figure 1). Incidents of kratom identification in poly-drug use cases are also being reported in a number of countries.  

Figure 1: Most reported NPS in DUID cases in 2018 and 2019 



Note: Illustrated by relative size of substance name displayed in relation to number of reports

For more information, please see:

Current NPS Threats Volume II, February 2020

UNODC Early Warning Advisory (EWA) Toxicology Portal leaflet (2018)