Perspective and Value of the Keratin Matrix in the evaluation of the use of New Psychoactive Substances in the addiction treatment population

Journal title MISSION
Author/s Concettina Varango, Francesca Musarella, Mara Cella, Antonella Varango
Publishing Year 2020 Issue 2020/53 Language Italian
Pages 6 P. 39-44 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/mis53-2020oa9242
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The world of drugs is changing. The "cannibal" drug (synthetic cathinones), the "zombie" drug (Krokodil), the "madness" drug (Yaba), the "crisis" drug (Sisa), are just some of the new drugs that are making their entry into the world of drugs. While on the one hand the prevalence of cocaine, heroin and amphetamines worldwide has decreased slightly in recent years, on the other hand we are witnessing an "epidemic" spread of new and more powerful psychoactive substances, with the most disparate chemical structure , synthesized at home or in clandestine laboratories, placed on the market, especially online, and advertised as harmless and capable of inducing extremely pleasant effects. The effects are often intense, not always pleasant, in some devastating cases.Better known as NPS (Novel Psychoactive Substances), they represent an emerging problem at an international level, a constantly evolving phenomenon in which new molecules are continuously placed on the market not only to satisfy new requests from consumers but above all to evade the controls that begin to be established in the various countries by updating the relevant legislation. Lacking analytical reference standards (non-existent or not easily available), the intoxications caused by NPS are extremely difficult to recognize, and even more to treat. This article arises from the need to inform a wider public about the danger represented by these substances, to make NPS known to sector operators (laboratory staff, emergency / emergency staff, health workers, researchers, etc.) in order to to facilitate the analysis of unknown samples and to disseminate scientific data that are beginning to emerge from clinical and preclinical studies on their toxic and pharmacological effects.

Keywords: keratin matrix; novel psychoactive substances

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Concettina Varango, Francesca Musarella, Mara Cella, Antonella Varango, Prospettiva e Valore della matrice Cheratinica nella valutazione dell’utilizzo di Nuove Sostanze Psicoattive nella popolazione che afferisce ai SERD in "MISSION" 53/2020, pp 39-44, DOI: 10.3280/mis53-2020oa9242