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The article discusses research by Arpit Parmar, Radhika Chakraborty, and Yatan P. S. Balhara, reported in the April 2024 issue of the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, focusing on the current status of harm reduction initiatives in India. Topics include the history of harm reduction in India, the Indian status of harm reduction compared to global standards, and the strategies of harm reduction services in the country, highlighting the need for improved support and funding for these services.

The article focuses on the dangers posed by unregulated psychotropic products like kratom, tianeptine, and phenibut, highlighting their availability in retail settings despite lacking FDA approval, which poses significant public health risks such as addiction and overdose. Topics include advocating for stricter regulation, enhancing public awareness, and promoting collaborative research efforts among healthcare organizations to address these hazards effectively.

In Washington v. Harper, the U.S. Supreme Court established that an administrative review conducted by prison staff was the minimum constitutionally appropriate due process for the administration of compulsory nonemergent antipsychotic medication. California's current process, Penal Code section 2602 (PC2602), uses a judicial review allowing for either emergent (medication beginning with application) or nonemergent routes. This article describes the history culminating with PC2602, beginning with the notion of civil death enacted in 1850, followed by the 1986 Keyhea injunction. Framed by problems that emerged, PC2602 was enacted in 2011, which is described from both legal-administrative and clinical perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article analyzes psychotropic overprescription and the law. Topics discussed include dangers posed by psychotropic medication, psychological treatment model, malpractice claims against psychiatrists, shortcomings of the Controlled Substances Act and the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention That Promote Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act, and potential legal and disciplinary solutions to psychotropic overprescription.

Background and aims: The United Kingdom (UK) Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA), implemented on the 26th May 2016, made the production, supply and sale of all non‐exempted psychoactive substances illegal. The aim of this study was to measure trends in hospital presentations for severe toxicity following analytically confirmed synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist (SCRA) exposure before and after implementation of the PSA. Design: Observational study. Setting: Thirty‐four hospitals across the UK participating in the Identification of Novel Psychoactive Substances (IONA) study. Participants: A total of 627 (79.9% male) consenting individuals who presented to participating hospitals between July 2015 and December 2019 with severe acute toxicity and suspected novel psychoactive substances exposure. Measurements Toxicological analyses of patient samples were conducted using liquid‐chromatography tandem mass‐spectrometry. Time‐series analysis was conducted on the monthly number of patients with and without analytically confirmed SCRA exposure using Poisson segmented regression. Findings SCRAs were detected in 35.7% (n = 224) of patients. After adjusting for seasonality and the number of active sites, models showed no clear evidence of an upward or downward trend in the number of SCRA exposure cases in the period before (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.12; 95% CI, 0.99–1.26; P = 0.068) or after (IRR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94–1.01; P = 0.202) the implementation of the PSA. There was also no clear evidence of an upward or downward trend in non‐SCRA exposure cases before (IRR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.98–1.27; P = 0.105) or after (IRR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.98–1.04; P = 0.478) implementation of the PSA. Conclusions: There is no clear evidence of an upward or downward trend in the number of patients presenting to UK hospitals with severe acute toxicity following analytically confirmed synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist exposure since the implementation of the Psychoactive Substances Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic cannabinoids (also referred to as 'Spice' and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs)) have become part of the global drug landscape. The rise of new psychoactive substances (NPS) presents unique challenges for policy makers and those who seek to reduce drug-related harms. Synthetic cannabinoids are often noted as having intense effects due to their interactions with receptors in the brain. In recent years, they have become popular amongst disadvantaged groups who suffer from multiple health and other social harms. The association of synthetic cannabinoids with groups such as those who are homeless, has led to the intensification of stigma around this particular drug. This conceptual paper seeks to explore shifting intoxications in relation to synthetic cannabinoids, including a discussion of debates about stigma and the co-production of knowledge about drugs and their users. The legislative responses to NPS and synthetic cannabinoids will also be examined focusing on the notion of 'success' and global legislation. Recent NPS legislation is positioned as part of the co-production of synthetic cannabinoid users and their construction as abject and disorderly. As such, it becomes part of the assemblage of synthetic cannabinoids and creates an environment that produces risks and harms for specific marginalised groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ireland passed the world's first blanket ban on new psychoactive substance in 2010. This article traces the historical processes culminating in the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act (2010) through a systematic review of Irish media articles published between 2000 and 2010 (N = 338). The review found that head shops were largely tolerated when they sold cannabis paraphernalia (2000–2008), possibly indicating the normalisation of cannabis in Ireland. Some mild condemnatory language emerges between 2008 and 2009 when head shops began selling some new psychoactive substances. The review suggests that the 2010 Act was partly a product of a moral panic, driven and managed by a range of moral entrepreneurs and, involving both peaceful and violent protests. Unlike some traditional moral panics, young people were not identified as folk devils but rather as under threat from a new drug distribution model (head shops) and new drugs (NPS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of cannabis products to help with sleep and various other medical conditions by the public has increased significantly in recent years. Withdrawal from cannabinoids can lead to sleep disturbance. Here, we describe a patient who developed significant insomnia leading to worsening anxiety, mood, and suicidal ideation in the setting of medical cannabis withdrawal, prompting presentation to the Emergency Department and inpatient admission. There is a limited evidence base for the use of cannabis products for sleep. We provide a comprehensive review evaluating the literature on the use of cannabis products on sleep, including an overview of cannabis and related psychoactive compounds, the current state of the law as it pertains to the prescribing and use of these substances, and potential side effects and drug interactions. We specifically discuss the impact of cannabis products on normal sleep and circadian sleep-wake rhythms, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea, parasomnias, and restless legs syndrome. We also describe the effects of cannabis withdrawal on sleep and how this increases relapse to cannabis use. Most of the studies are observational but the few published randomized controlled trials are reviewed. Our comprehensive review of the effects of cannabis products on normal sleep and sleep disorders, relevant to primary care providers and other clinicians evaluating and treating patients who use these types of products, shows that cannabis products have minimal to no effects on sleep disorders and may have deleterious effects in some individuals. Further research examining the differential impact of the various types of cannabinoids that are currently available on each of these sleep disorders is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on medicolegal issues with reference to ndps and mhca in management and rehabilitation of persons with substance use disorders.

In recent years, new psychoactive substances (NPS) ("legal highs" or "designer drugs") are increasing worldwide. An increase in NPS is a cause for concern for drug-regulatory authorities and health-care professionals as it poses a threat to public health. Because of their novelty, these drugs go undetected by traditional detection methods, hampering adverse reaction assessment, and increasing challenges for laboratories and the regulatory system. This review aims to provide an update on the current state of NPS at the global level. The article addresses important issues and challenges in the clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories, which deals with testing for substances of abuse, the unclear legal status of NPS, and the limited knowledge of the public about their side effect. These issues and challenges would be important for health-care professionals, toxicologists, law enforcement authorities, and policymakers to take into account an effective response to control the use of NPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seit einigen Jahren ist auf dem Drogenmarkt eine Vielzahl neuer Substanzen verfügbar. Diese gefährden die Gesundheit der Konsumenten und — durch ihren Einfluss auf das Führen von Fahrzeugen und Maschinen – auch weitere Menschenleben. Für die Drogenanalytik stehen verschiedene Testverfahren zur Verfügung. Um zu einer korrekten Interpretation zu gelangen, ist es essenziell, die Fähigkeiten, aber auch die Grenzen der Aussagekraft dieser Tests genau zu kennen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the importance of rights to the Argument for the Decriminalization of Drugs. Topics discussed include criminalization of drugs harms drug users and communities, and it feeds systemic racism; and their main concern, illustrated by their article's title, is to highlight how this "war" has "disproportionately targeted historically vulnerable communities.

The article offers excerpts from relevant research and studies on addiction on topics including the banning of synthetic cannabinoids in Great Britain, a referendum on Cannabis legalization in New Zealand, and plans to fund alcohol and smoking cessation services in England.

In this paper, I present and criticize several historical arguments in favour of prohibition and criminalization of illicit psychoactive substances. I consider several versions of Charles Brent's argument from drug harms and an argument from addiction based on Kantian view on autonomy. My criticism will mainly rely on empirical evidence on drugs, drug use, and addiction. I think that in light of this evidence, all of the arguments lose their cogency or can be refuted altogether. Moreover, the evidence reveals an inconsistency in the international drug law framework. In conclusion, I therefore provide a general argument challenging the legitimacy of the existing distinction between licit and illicit drugs based on the inconsistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lawsuit filed in April 2018 alleges unlawful administration of psychotropic medications to detained immigrant children in US custody. The suit, under jurisdiction of the Flores Settlement Agreement of 1997, alleges misuse of psychotropic medication to chemically restrain and control immigrant children and prolong their detention. This article describes the legal scope of the suit and considers significant ethically and clinically relevant questions it poses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on an appeal on whether, for the purposes of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 in Great Britain, a substance falls within the definition of a "psychoactive substance" if it directly stimulates or depresses the central nervous system, or whether it is sufficient that it does so indirectly.

Background and aims: The short‐lived regulated legal market for new psychoactive substances (NPS) in New Zealand marked a radical departure from the traditional prohibition‐based approach to drugs. This paper aimed to enhance understanding of this policy change using Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET). Methods: The analysis draws on 3 years of evaluative research, including interviews with key stakeholders, analysis of legislation and policy documents and academic and grey literature. Results: The reframing of the NPS issue from one of drug control to the need for stricter market regulation was achieved by the efforts of strategic policy entrepreneurs, including the legal high industry, drug law reform advocates, influential politicians and an independent legal advisory institution. This reframing was aided by the perceived saliency of the NPS problem and ineffectiveness of previous prohibition‐based responses. In the absence of any political opposition to the regulatory approach, the Psychoactive Substances Act rapidly progressed through the Parliament. However, once the interim legal market was established, portrayal of the issues shifted away from experts and lobbyists to critique from local communities, local government, animal rights activists and the media, who viewed the new regime as a source of social and health problems. The mobilization of criticism ('Schattschneider mobilization') drew on ideas of animal welfare and community safety. With a looming national election, the government responded by ending the interim market with the urgent passage of amendment legislation. Conclusions: Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) helps explain how New Zealand's Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) policy first emerged on the political agenda and how the initial positive tone of expert support for reform shifted to a tide of popular criticism during the interim regime. However, with its emphasis on explaining agenda‐setting, PET does not account for the legislative design shortcomings of the PSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the 2018 British appeals court case R. v. Waka (Mohammed Hussain), wherein the appellant is appealing his sentence handed down after a guilty plea to possession of psychoactive substances.

Drug dependence syndrome is a medical condition classified as a multifactorial health disorder that often follows the course of a relapsing and remitting chronic disease. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is one of the established standard treatments for opioid dependence syndrome. OST, a process in which opioid-dependent injecting drug users, is provided with long-acting opioid agonist medications for a long period under medical supervision along with psychosocial interventions. OST service provider may have to deal with issues of license/registration/recognition/permission under various legislations such as the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940; Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985; Rights of person with disability Act, 2016 and Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 depending on the drug prescribed, type of services provided, procuring, transportation, storage, and prescribing these narcotics and psychotropic medicines. The narcotics and psychotropic drugs are administered through various ministries and departments causing huge confusion, lack of coordination, overlapping roles and responsibilities, and various laws/rules and gives an opportunity for the abdication of the responsibilities. The “public mental health issue,” where the number of opioid users in the country is approximately two million and opioid dependence syndrome is approximately 0.5 million. The number of beds in the public governed deaddiction centers is abysmally low, number of psychiatrist, or trained medical practitioners in OST are also few in number to face this humongous challenge. Against this background, this article focuses on the legal issues surrounding the OST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: New Zealand’s Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) 2013 established the world’s first regulated legal market for “low risk” psychoactive products. Aim: To explore challenges in relation to regulating the retail environment and public communication of the new policy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 30 key informants (KI) from the industry, government, health and NGO sectors were conducted, transcribed and analysed thematically. Results: KI overwhelmingly supported the new PSA retail restrictions, but expressed frustration about how the new regulations were managed. They questioned the effectiveness of communicating the policy to the public and media, enforcement of regulations around licenced retailers, engagement with stakeholders in local communities and the speed of developing regulations for the full regime. Many KI pointed out the reduction in the number of shops concentrated demand which increased social disruption and negative media feedback. The absence of price controls and drug education were identified as gaps in the new regime. Conclusion: Issues with the interim PSA regime highlight the significant challenges of implementing frameworks for regulated drug markets. Many issues were attributed to unrealistic timeframes, resource constraints and insufficient planning. An important task is effectively communicating the new policy to the public, engaging with local stakeholders and educating users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In July 2013 New Zealand passed the Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) to establish the world's first regulated legal market for new psychoactive substances (NPS) ("legal highs").Aim: To critically analyse the implementation of the PSA.Methods: Synthesis of findings from interviews with 30 key informants (i.e. politicians, civil servants, legal high industry actors, toxicologists, NGO representatives and drug policy academics), analysis of relevant laws and policy documents, and a review of academic and grey literature on the PSA.Findings: Key challenges experienced during the implementation of the PSA included the harmfulness of interim approved products, the slowness in withdrawing products which caused adverse effects, enforcing retail restrictions, price competition by retailers, judicial challenges by the "legal high" industry, and growing opposition to the regime from local communities and key stakeholders (including local councils). The PSA lacks a tax on products and restrictions on retail opening hours which likely contributed to the problems above. The implementation of the PSA also appeared to suffer from a rushed legislative process and resource constraints on the regulatory agency which led to delays in the development of the full regulatory framework, including the product testing requirements, and issues with enforcing retail regulation, such as the minimum age of purchase. The decline in public support for the PSA regime reflected problems with communicating the aims of the policy to the general public.Conclusions: The troubled implementation of the PSA underlines a number of important lessons for consideration when developing a regulated legal drug market, including advanced development of regulatory systems, ensuring the sale of low risk products, adequately resourcing regulatory agencies and related enforcement activity, detailed regulation of retail outlets, establishing price controls, and ongoing engagement with stakeholders and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and the Psychoactive Substances Act (2016) both reinforce the criminalisation of drug use in the UK. The Psychoactive Substances Act (2016) has been developed to control and monitor the use of legal highs, particularly in institutions. This study aimed to establish drug service providers' viewpoints on how effective UK drug policies have been at curtailing criminal behaviours and whether existing policies should be aligned with the Portuguese drug liberalisation policy. A thematic analysis was conducted following semi-structured interviews with four UK based substance use service providers. Two superordinate themes emerged, (1) the need for change in UK drug policy including a clearer definition of the Psychoactive Substance Act (2016), and (2) an integrated systems approach to drug policy in line with the Portuguese liberalisation policy. This would curtail the criminalization of drug users, target those with substance misuse problems in the community and in prison and support an attuned systems approach to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Street-involved youth are known to be at elevated risk of initiating injection drug use. However, the impact of so-called 'gateway' drugs, such as cannabis, on injection initiation is unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the association between cannabis use and initiation of injection drug use among a prospective cohort of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada.Design and Methods: Data for this study were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study. From September 2005 to May 2015, participants aged 14-26 who reported illicit drug use were recruited into this open prospective cohort study. An extended Cox regression model with time-updated covariates was used to identify factors independently associated with injection initiation.Results: During the study period, 481 street-involved youth were included in this study. Of these, 228 (47.4%) reported at least daily cannabis use, and 103 (21.4%) initiated injection drug use. In a multivariable analysis, ≥daily cannabis use was associated with slower rates of injection initiation (adjusted relative hazard 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.98; P = 0.038). Sub-analyses revealed that cannabis use was negatively associated with initiation of injection stimulants but not initiation of injection opioids.Discussion and Conclusions: Given the expansion of cannabis legalisation throughout North America, it is encouraging that cannabis use was associated with slower time to initiation of injection drug use in this cohort. This finding challenges the view of cannabis as a gateway substance that precipitates the progression to using harder and more addictive drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: In July 2013, New Zealand passed the Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA), which established a legal regulated market for government-approved products containing new psychoactive substances (NPS). One of the aims of the PSA was to separate the market for approved NPS products from unapproved products and illegal drugs. The aim of this study was to explore perceived health risks and social acceptability of government-approved NPS compared to unapproved NPS and other drugs.Design and Methods: About 834 police arrestees were surveyed about the health risks and social acceptability of regularly using nine drug types, including approved and unapproved synthetic cannabinoids (SC) and 'party pills' (PP) under the interim PSA regime. Statistical analyses included fitted analysis of variance and logistic ordinal regression models.Results: Approved SC were considered riskier to health than (natural) cannabis, alcohol, approved and unapproved PP, tobacco and ecstasy, but safer than unapproved SC and methamphetamine. Younger participants (16-29 years) were more likely than older participants (30+ years) to give approved SC a high health-risk score. Approved SC were considered less socially acceptable than alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, but more socially acceptable than methamphetamine, unapproved SC and unapproved PP. Frequent SC users were more likely to rate the social acceptability of approved legal SC higher than other drug users. Approved PP received more positive health and social acceptability scores than approved SC.Discussion and Conclusions: The PSA was partially successful at separating approved NPS from other drugs. High health-risk and low social acceptability scores for approved SC may reflect the absence of product testing during the interim PSA market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses British Court of Appeal's decision in the Chapman case related to convictions under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, wherein it rejected the contention that nitrous oxide was exempted medicinal product; and highlights the issue of proving its psychoactivity under the Act.

Aims: On the 26th of May 2016, the UK Government introduced the Psychoactive Substances Act, 2016. The aim of this short report is to explore online shops selling New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) stated motivations for closing and the changes that arose preceding the ban. Methods: The search for online shops selling NPS was made throughout October 2015. From March to June 2016, data were collected on the status of the online shops, and whether they mentioned the ban, the delay, or their closure. Results: From the original 113 online shops, only 52% remained open. Those that remained were either based overseas (65%), removed NPS and became a headshop (19%), or were inactive (16%). Only 24% of UK-registered websites remained open after the ban. Conclusions: UK-registered websites closed down or moved domain locations and no longer sold to UK customers. UK-registered websites communicated with customers at each stage of the legislation. It is unknown whether the UK retailers have ceased selling NPS or have been displaced to underground markets (street level dealing or the hidden web). The majority of shops in this study were located in Europe or North America, showing that there is still high demand in both continents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the case of synthetic cathinones (commonly referred to as 'bath salts' in the US context), this paper analyses structural factors surrounding novel psychoactive substances (NPS) as contributing to the unique risk environment surrounding their use. Drawing on interviews with 39 people who use bath salts from four U.S. cities and analysis of the infrastructural, social, economic, and policy contexts, we document the unique harms related to changing contexts for illicit drug regulation, manufacture, and consumption. Findings suggest that NPS and designer drug markets, which are highly reliant upon the internet, share characteristics of the entertainment industry which has come to rely more heavily upon profits derived from the 'long tail' of myriad lesser-known products and the diminished centrality of 'superstars' and 'hits'. Findings point toward increased theoretical and policy attention to changing drug market structures, more rigorous evaluations of drug 'analogues' legislation and greater involvement with NPS education and testing by harm reduction agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In May 2016, the UK Government enacted the Psychoactive Substances Act which made it an offense to produce or supply many drugs including new psychoactive substances (NPS). Aim: We aimed to assess the impact of the Act on the availability of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist methyl 2-[[1-(cyclohexylmethyl)indole-3-carbonyl]amino]-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (MDMB-CHMICA) from internet-based suppliers. Design: Internet snapshot availability study. Methods: We conducted two snapshot availability surveys looking at the number of websites offering to sell MDMB-CHMICA: the first in March prior to implementation of the Act and the second in June, 1 month post-implementation. Results: In March and June 2016, we identified 47 and 38 websites, respectively, which offered to sell MDMB-CHMICA. There were no significant differences in the price of the drug nor the forms available for purchase. In the June survey there was a significant decrease in the number of websites which openly stated they were based in the UK (from 14 down to 2), three websites stated that they did not supply customers based in the UK and two websites stated they had ceased sales of MDMB-CHMICA due to the Act. Conclusions: This study showed a small but limited reduction in the availability of MDMB-CHMICA from internet-based suppliers following implementation of the Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a grey area of psychiatric practice and, as with other challenging practices, the law is called upon to navigate conflicting legal issues. In particular, this paper explores the covert administration of medication: the concealment of medication in food or drink so that it will be consumed undetected. Rights-based approaches support nuanced understanding of the practices. Few policies, protocols or guidelines govern the practice in Ontario's psychiatric settings. While covert medication is understood to have "something to do" with rights, there is confusion about how those rights play out on the ground. Institutional silences underlie and reinforce the practice. Most pressing, the covert administration of medication warrants an overt discussion, including of its impact on the rights-experience of persons in psychiatric settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has confounded governments throughout the western world. In 2014 the UK government convened an NPS Review Expert Panel to consider a range of approaches. Ultimately the Panel recommended that the government ban all new psychoactive drugs and allow only psychoactive substances specifically exempted, such as alcohol, tobacco and those allowed as medicines. The government introduced the Psychoactive Substances Bill (PSB) in response to that recommendation. Passed in 2016, the Bill has attracted a torrent of criticism from scientists and experts. The Bill could be improved with revision, but the problems of the total ban, as envisioned by the PSB, with respect to the NPS, may be inherent: (1) defining psychoactivity is conceptually fraught, with great consequence for the scope of the prohibition; (2) operationalizing psychoactivity as a usable concept for legal control purposes is extremely difficult, perhaps impossible; and (3) the detachment of penalties for violating a total ban from establishing the harmfulness of a substance is normatively troubling. Given the uncertainties about the effects of a total ban, it is appropriate at this time for other governments to assess more fully the nature of the NPS problem, and the potential control approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an editorial in which the authors comment on the legal aspects of cannabis use in Europe. They discuss the inconsistencies associated with punishments related to the use of cannabis as well as other psychoactive substances, citing data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

The article reports on the new legislation, Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 in Great Britain. Topics discussed include Policing and Crime Bill, Investigatory Powers Bill, and the Counter-Extremism and Safeguarding Bill. Also being discussed are Criminal Finances Bill, population of black and minority ethnic (BME) police officers, and BME representation in police forces.

The article presents drug and pharmaceutical industry news briefs as of August 2016. Great Britain has introduced uniform packaging regulations for tobacco products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released regulations on vaping products and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). The European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Abuse (EMCDDA) released its "European Drug Report" which found a rise in ectasy and synthetic cannabis use in European Union member states.

Novel psychoactive substances flood worldwide markets faster than they can be banned. Legislators struggle to find a balance between free availability, prescription systems, and criminalisation, while physicians try to balance risks and benefits of drug treatment and identify drug abuse – a tightrope walk. Classification of psychoactive substances is central to these decision-making processes but existing classifications rely on unrelated, inconsistent, and shifting guidelines that categorise drugs by chemical structure, toxicity, or addictive potency. We propose that a new categorisation of drugs based on neurobiological mechanisms of action may help to simplify the regulation of drug use, delivers a neurobiological context, and streamlines classification and future regulatory directions. We provide guidelines to distinguish between drug abuse and treatment and to navigate the controversies over legalising or banning drugs. Finally, we comment on the role neuroscientific research can play in the future to solve imminent problems in this highly important field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section offers news briefs on relating to addiction as of June 2016. It announces the implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules 2014 in India. It reports the prescription drug monitoring to be introduced in Victoria to prevent overdoses, as well as the ruling by the Texas Supreme Court upholding a state Supreme Court decision to impose a special tax on cigarette makers.

The article offers information on the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 of Great Britain that contains provision about psychoactive substances.

The article offers news briefs related to policing. It reports on the Psychoactive Substances Bill, the bill that creates a blanket ban on the production, distribution, sale and supply of psychoactive substances in Great Britain. It publishes the updated guidance on gang injunctions, following legislative changes made in the Serious Crime Act 2015. It reports on the University of Leicester's Centre for Hate Studies which has revealed the percentage of LGBT who have experienced hate incident.

Background New Zealand has recently attempted to address the underlying drivers of the escalating new psychoactive substances ( NPS) ('legal highs') problem by establishing the world's first pre-market approval regulatory regime for NPS. NPS products which can be shown with clinical trial data to pose a 'low risk' of harm will be approved for legal manufacture and sale. Aims and method This paper critically assesses the new regime, drawing on experience of the pharmaceutical sector and legal BZP market. Findings A number of characteristics of the recreational use of NPS may not be well addressed by standard medical clinical trials, including binge use, polydrug use, use by vulnerable groups and high-risk modes of administration. The overt advertising and covert promotion of approved NPS products on the internet may make them fairly visible to young people. The black market for unapproved NPS may be difficult to suppress given that unapproved NPS will be physically identical to approved NPS. If the legal market for NPS encourages the use of NPS, alcohol and other drugs there may be an increase in drug-related harm. Alternatively, if the legal NPS market reduces the use of more harmful drugs, there may be a considerable public health benefit. Conclusions The clinical trials required for NPS products should address the characteristics of recreational NPS use. Enforcement resources and technical solutions are required to clearly distinguish legal NPS products. The impact the new NPS regime has on other drug use is a key issue and demands further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commentary to: Can new psychoactive substances be regulated effectively? An assessment of the British Psychoactive Substances Bill [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the rules and government policy for resolving foster care's psychotropic drug crisis. Topics discussed include role of psychotropic drug therapy in treating mental and emotional damage in foster children, impact of continuous use of psychotropic drugs on behavior of foster children, and laws regulating the efficacy of psychotropic drugs.

The main problem of the article is how to separate Article 259 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania and Article 44 Part 1 of the Administrative Offences Code of the Republic of Lithuania. In spite of the fact that this problem appeared in the doctrine of criminal law and in courts' practice quiet long time ago, it should be admitted that till now it has not been solved. his is the cause why this problem is topical. In author's opinion, the topicality is bigger in the context of times, when the courts' practice has changed. The article gives approval to this courts' practice, which is different of earlier, when the main focus was concentrated on Article 9 of the Administrative Offences Code, which gives priority to criminal liability. After the analysis of the latest court's decisions, it can be concluded that formal rules could not determine that crime or administrative offence was committed, but the biggest attention must be deflected to dangerousness of the offence. Every time there is a need to determine that crime or administrative offence was committed, a lot of various criteria must be analyzed, which describe the dangerousness of the offence: the amount and kind of drugs or psychoactive substances, the consequences of committing an offence, the place, purpose, intensity, duration and motivation of the acts. In spite of the large number of such criteria, according to the author's opinion, the main attention should be given to the amount and kind of drugs or psychoactive substances. Other features should not have a significant value. However, the problematical situation has not been solved, although it became better than before. The next chapter of the article is focused on the most significant criteria that could have the greatest influence on the legislator while deciding to criminalize a certain act. Sustaining these criteria, the author doubts the criminalization of Article 259 Part 2 of the Criminal Code. According to these features, only two alternative acts of this Article are analyzed -- "keeping" and "obtaining", but it is noted that other acts could be assessed in the same way. Therefore, the author proposes decriminalize this crime and put this offence to the Administrative Offences Code. he author notes that there are some others ways to solve this problem, but, according to the author, this way is the best. The article is finished with the findings. It is suggested to pay an appropriate attention to dangerousness of an offence, when delimitating offences is needed. Also, a proposal is given to legislator concerned with the decriminalization of Article 259 Part 2 of the Criminal Code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the unhealthy effects of overprescription of psychotropic drugs to the vulnerability of the foster children in the U.S. It proposes the urgent need of reform in legal policies and frameworks authorizing development of oversight committees and legal mechanism concerned for medical care and protection of children's rights of this vulnerable group of foster child.

ABSTRACT Aims The rapid emergence of myriad substances openly marketed as 'legal highs' is straining traditional drug control systems which require time and basic scientific data on harms to react, presenting governments with the dilemma of no response or a disproportionate response. Some countries have side-stepped this using novel policy and legislative approaches. Should other countries consider them? Methods We review the different laws invoked to stop the open sale of new psychoactive substances, focusing on the European Union (EU). Results Some countries have designed new catch-all control systems, or faster systems to classify substances as drugs. Others have enforced consumer safety or medicines legislation to stop the open sale of these products. The latter originate from harmonization of the internal market of the EU. Rigorous, objective evaluation is required, but first results suggest that these have been effective, while avoiding criminalization of users. Conclusions Every EU country should have existing laws for protecting public health that can be applied swiftly yet proportionately to new drugs appearing on the open market with minimum political involvement. It seems the key is the speed, not the weight, of response. Given support for their enforcement mechanisms, these systems might be as effective and more efficient than the old ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various legal issues and State's role in social construction of ayahuasca rituals in which it highlights the issues of globalization and cross borders involvement. It informs about inquisitorial legal actions have been taken for anti-drug discourse related to investigation of social construction of drug use. It addresses therapeutic, medicinal use of psychoactive drug ayahuasca.