Attached a link http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704763904575550200845267526.html to a very interesting article published in today's Wall Street Journal entitled "In Quest for 'Legal High,' Chemists Outfox Law."
In the article the reporter describes how a wave of laboratory-adept European entrepreneurs see gold in the gray zone between legal and illegal drugs and in 2009 have produced in Europe 24 new "psychoactive substances" , almost double the number reported in 2008, according to the Lisbon-based European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, or EMCDDA .New substances tend to hit Europe before the U.S. and other markets, in part because European consumers are more accustomed to buying drugs online. Strong trade links between Europe and southeast Asia, where many of the drugs are made, also play a role. According to the narcotic experts quoted in the article many of the novel drugs are manufactured in China, where they say lax regulation makes it easy for companies to produce and export a cornucopia of chemicals. Les Iversen, chairman of the U.K.'s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which advises the government on new substances, says customs officials at Heathrow Airport recently seized a large shipment of white powder from China that was labelled "glucose" but contained mephedrone. China also supplies raw ingredients to manufacturers located elsewhere. Mr. Llewellyn says he buys his raw ingredients online from Chinese suppliers, who charge rock-bottom prices and ask few questions about his business. The powders and liquids arrive by plane in 1-kilogram sacks and 25-liter drums and go to a warehouse in Glasgow before being shipped to his labs. Chinese officials say the country is taking steps to control the flow of new drugs. On September 1, China began regulating mephedrone as a "category I psychotropic substance," which means anyone importing or exporting it needs a special license. In a written statement, China's State Food and Drug Administration said it has "strengthened monitoring of the situation in the country," and is ready to work with other countries to "exchange information, share resources and jointly respond to new emerging problems of drug abuse."
What can we do? Stay informed and educated about those "new wave" synthetic drugs, how to recognize their effects and how to test for their presence in urine toxicology or hair sampling tests.
Looking forward to your comments.
Yours
Bernd
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