LISBON, Portugal – November 2016: In August 2016, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published a rapid communication on drug-related hospital emergency presentations which draws on data that includes a total of 10 956 presentations in Europe spanning over a two-year period from October 2013 to September 2015. The records of drug presentations are based on the patient’s self-report and/or the clinical interpretation of the drugs used by the clinicians managing the patient and collecting the data.

Over the two-year period, 7.0 per cent of all drug presentations in Europe involved NPS use. In year 1 (October 2013 to September 2014), 5.6 per cent of reported drug presentations involved an NPS which increased to 8.5 per cent in year 2 (October 2014 to September 2015). Synthetic cathinones were the most frequently reported substance group and mephedrone was the most frequently reported NPS. The report also noted a significant increase in the number of cases involving synthetic cannabinoids receptor agonists between year 1 and year 2.

Figure 1: Drug categories reported by the Euro-DEN centres in year 1 and year 2

Source: European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Hospital emergency presentations and acute drug toxicity in Europe, Lisbon, August 2016.

*Mephedrone has been under international control as of November 2015.

For more information, please see:
EMCDDA report – Hospital emergency presentations and acute drug toxicity in Europe