The use of new psychoactive substances and the new patterns of drug use can have important public health and policy implications. Few countries have monitoring systems that are sensitive to this new phenomenon in the drug field, but methodological difficulties to detect them are considerable. Nonetheless, the importance of identifying potential new threats is widely recognized. The European Union’s Early-Warning System (EWS) provides a quick-response mechanism to the emergence of new psychoactive substances on the drug scene. The European Council’s decision on new psychoactive substances establishes a mechanism for the rapid exchange of information on new drugs. It also provides the possibility to trigger a formal risk assessment process, the findings of which may lead to a political decision to place new substances under control across the European Union.

Abbreviations EWS – Early-Warning System, THC – Tetrahydrocannabinol, EMCDDA – European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction