A snapshot on NPS in Italy: Distribution of drugs in seized materials analysed in an Italian forensic laboratory in the period 2013–2015
Graphical abstract
Introduction
The diffusion of NPS in the illicit drug market is a worldwide problem. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) “2014 Global Synthetic Drugs Assessment”, 348 NPS were identified for the first time between 2008 and 2013, 97 of which only in 2013 [1]. The phenomenon is becoming more and more concerning, as in 2014 101 new psychoactive substances were reported for the first time to the EU Early Warning System [2].
Due to the heterogeneous chemical structures of NPS, UNODC classified them in several chemical classes, including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, ketamines and phencyclidine-type substances, phenethylamines, piperazines, benzofurans, aminoindanes, tryptamines, plant-based substances and substances not pertaining to any of these. The distribution and the prevalence of these compounds vary across the different geographical areas and, of course, over time [3].
These substances are often designed to be structural analogues of a “traditional” drug or controlled substance, in order to avoid the law and to have a similar psychotropic effect. For instance, methoxetamine is an analogue of ketamine (the 2-chloro group on the phenyl ring is replaced with a 3-methoxy group and the N-methyl group replaced with N-ethyl group instead).
Currently the legislation of NPS varies in each country, even within the European Union. Various decrees were issued in Italy since 2010 to update the list of controlled psychotropic substances: chemical substances are not just cited name by name, but also as groups of structurally related analogues, such as those compounds derived from 3-phenyl acetylindole, the structures analogue to 3-(1-naphtoyl)indole, 3-benzoylindole and the ones derived from 2-amino-1-phenyl-1-propanone [4].
For laboratories involved in drugs analysis, the identification of new substances can be challenging due to the continuous evolving market and, subsequently, the potential lack of reference standard materials and/or analytical data from scientific literature - when their distribution spreads at first. In such circumstances, a special approach involving the combination of several analytical techniques is required for their correct and univocal identification. Besides their identification, another critical issue is that these substances are under control of the law only in some countries, depending on the specific national provisions.
The aim of this study was to describe an observation on the qualitative distribution of drugs in seized materials, showing the results from the analysis of NPS in 162 seizures collected in Italy within the last two years, with an emphasis on whether they should be included or not in the list of substances controlled by the Italian law. For the identification of NPS in unknown seizures an analytical approach, combining different analytical techniques was applied [5], [6].
Section snippets
Analytical approach
The analytical approach used for identifying unknown NPS along with sample preparation procedures and detailed instrumental conditions are described in detail elsewhere [5], [6].
Briefly, all the samples were analysed firstly using GC-MS - in particular cases after specific derivatisation with 2,2,2-trichloroethyl chloroformate [6], then analysed also by LC-HRMS with and without fragmentation to study the accurate mass of the molecule and of its characteristic fragments; moreover, when
Results
162 samples were analysed between September 2013 and June 2015: in the majority of them (94%), samples contained only one active compound; in the remaining 6% two, three or even seven different substances in the same sample were identified, often containing cathinones.
Fig. 1 shows the pattern of NPS identified sorted by frequency of their presence in the seizures. Chemical structures are shown in Fig. 2, grouped in three main classes: cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids and miscellanea. Fig. 2a
Discussion
All the seizures analysed in the present study were obtained from internet purchasing and shipped to a large area of the north-center of Italy, therefore representative of the whole national scenario regarding NPS. The majority of samples from seizures analysed during the past two years were related to cathinones group, controlled by the Italian law: actually the Italian legislation includes in the list of controlled substances all “analogues derived from 2-amino-1-phenyl-1-propanone”,
Conclusions
NPS pertaining to different chemical classes entering the Italian territory between 2013 and 2015 were identified in 162 seizures. The findings showed the presence of a wide number of NPS generally coming from other EU countries, including substances not controlled by the Italian criminal law yet. The “analogue approach” adopted in Italy for cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids showed to be very effective, while some new seized tryptamines and methamphetamine analogues cannot be considered as
Acknowledgements
The present work was carried out in the framework of the project Smart-Stop, founded by the Italian Antidrug Policies Department. Special thanks go to the Italian “Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela della Salute - Reparto Operativo - Sezione Operativa Centrale” that performed the drug seizures.
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