Citation

Di Trana A, Pichini S, Pacifici R, Giorgetti R, Busardò FP. Front. Psychiatry 2022; 13: e858234.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyt.2022.858234

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The new psychoactive substances (NPS) phenomenon was initially observed as a response of the illicit market to the international ban on classic drugs of abuse, with the peculiarity of a continuous release of new uncontrolled compounds exerting psychotropic effects which in some cases resulted more potent or longer lasting than those of classic abused substances (1). To date, more than 1,100 NPS have been characterized, mainly new synthetic cathinones and new synthetic cannabinoids, even if the most recent emerging trend has been that of new synthetic opioids (NSOs) (2-4).

In this concern, North America has experienced an unprecedented "opioid crisis" with a notable increase in the rate of opioid-related acute intoxications and fatalities during the last decade. Differently from the past, the new wave of opioid consumption is more related to diversion and misuse of prescription opioids and the emergence of new NSOs characterized by extreme pharmacological potency and toxicity (2). As a result of this opioid epidemic, in 2017, NSOs were involved in 59.8% of opioid-related overdose fatalities in the USA. This trend was confirmed also in 2019, when the synthetic opioid-related fatalities increased in 20 states, ranging between 11.2% (Kentucky) and 95.5% (Colorado) of additional cases (5).With the broadening of the phenomenon toward Europe, in 2020, two-thirds of the global opioid-related fatal intoxications were attributed to NSO misuse, with the healthy-years life expectancy of opioid abusers decreased to 70%...

Language: en