BEIJING, China – 1 July 2025: In June 2025, China’s Ministry of Public Security, National Health Commission and National Medical Products Administration jointly announced to place nitazene analogues under national control using a generic definition.
In addition, etomidate analogues (TF-Etomidate, butomidate, sec-butomidate, iso-butomidate, 4F-etomidate, 2,6-diCl-3F-etomidate and ABP-700) and six other new psychoactive substances (N-isopropylbutylone, thiopropamine (thienoamphetamine), 3-Methoxyphencyclidine (3-MeO-PCPy), 2-oxo-PCPr, hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)) are added to the “Supplementary List of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances without Medical-use Purposes”.The control measures come into effect today, 1 July 2025.
The United Kingdom implemented a similar control on 15 January 2025, by introducing a generic definition for nitazenes as “Class A” drugs under the “Misuse of Drugs Act 1971”.
The UNODC Early Warning Advisory (EWA) on New Psychoactive Substances database of national legal responses to control NPS includes these updates under China and the United Kingdom.
The range of nitazenes detected in drug samples continues to diversify with the UNODC EWA recently recording the 30th 'nitazene' analogue (Figure). Generic legislation is described in the UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs under possible national legislative approaches for NPS.
Figure: Nitazenes reported to UNODC EWA over time
Source: United Nations, UNODC Early Warning Advisory on New Psychoactive Substances (EWA), Database (accessed on 1 July 2025).
Additionally, China announced the national control of two fentanyl precursors, 4-piperidone and 1-boc-4-piperidone from 20 July 2025.
For more information please see:
Weblink to the announcement of the Ministry of Public Security of China on the national control of nitazenes, etomidate analogues and six other new psychoactive substances (in Chinese)
Weblink to the announcement of the Ministry of Public Security of China on the national control of 4-piperidone and 1-boc-4-piperidone (in Chinese)
United Kingdom, Home Office, “The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2024 and The Misuse of Drugs and Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (England and Wales and Scotland) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024”, correspondence, 15 January 2025.
UNODC, “June 2025 - UNODC: CND decision on international control of four nitazenes enters into force”, news clip, 13 June 2025.
UNODC, “March 2025 – Increasing detections of etomidate and analogues on illicit drug markets is becoming a global concern”, news clip 4 March 2025.
UNODC, "February 2025 – UNODC EWA: Increasing availability of nitazenes calls for global response", news clip, 4 February 2025.
United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, “Inclusion of 1-boc-4-piperidone and 4-piperidone in Table I of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988”, 2024 CND Decision 67/6 and 67/7, 19 March 2024.