Identification and characterization of a putative new psychoactive substance, 2-(2-(4-chlorophenyl)acetamido)- 3-methylbutanamide, in Spain

Abstract

The term ‘new psychoactive substances’ (NPS) refers to synthetically changed natural compounds or newly designed compounds intended to elicit a psychotropic response such as stimulation, hallucination or sedation. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction of the European Union, more than 560 NPS are currently being monitored, and 98 of these substance were reported for the first time in 2015. Despite that, there are still many NPS that are not being monitored, and therefore their health effects are not yet studied. Hence, many cases of intoxication and death related to NPS have been reported in the past few years, highlighting the public health risks of these substances. One of the challenges of monitoring NPS is the continuous structural evolution to evade regulation, so when one substance is banned or controlled, several new compounds replace it in the market.