PARIS, France – March 2018: According to a recent report of the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), findings based on monitoring online forums suggest that habitual NPS use might be confined to certain population groups. In Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lyon there have been reports of experimentation with synthetic cannabinoids purchased from online sites by high school students aged between 15 and 17 years of age and adults who are regular cannabis users. Aparticular interest in the inhalation of synthetic cannabinoids presented as "e-liquids" was noted in the survey finding. For NPS users in urban recreational settings in Lyon, Bordeaux and Rennes, online NPS purchases are particularly perceived as a guarantee of substance quality and could be a motivation for use.

However, habitual NPS use has a limited appeal among most drug users because they fear the potentially potent effects of NPS that could lead to unpleasant or anxious experiences. Among disadvantaged populations in urban settings in Rennes, Marseille and Paris, the OFDT finds that the multiplicity of NPS, their complicated names and irregular Internet access together also prevent these populations from actively searching for NPS online.

For more information, please see:

Report on “Psychoactive substances, users and markets: recent trends (2016-2017)”
https://en.ofdt.fr/BDD/publications/docs/eftaacxc.pdf