Expert meeting on health responses to NPS

28 - 29 Oct 2015

Organisers:

Event type:

Please note: the original page (linked to by this URL has been archived. Information contained on this page is less complete but has been added to maintain the institutional record. You may view an archived version of the origiinal page here. The text below refers has been copied from the original web page but may no longer be up to date. The outputs from this meeting were used in the preparation of the 2016 EMCDDA publication 'Health responses to new psychoactive substances.'

The availability of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Europe has rapidly increased over the last decade, as seen by the growing numbers of seizures reported to the EU Early Warning System (EWS) and via standard monitoring mechanisms. The number of new substances detected also continues to grow, with 101 new drugs detected in 2014.

In European countries, initial responses to the emergence of NPS have been predominantly regulatory in nature, focused on tackling their supply using legislative tools. Increasingly, however, attention is being paid to developing targeted education and prevention activities, as well as training and awareness-raising activities for professionals.

Information on health responses to NPS use and harms is emerging but, in many cases, remains anecdotal. Data reveal that drug users presenting, or at risk of, NPS-related harms are observed, or may seek help and information in, a variety of settings.

From 28–29 October, the EMCDDA will be organising, for the first time, a meeting dedicated to the topic of health responses to NPS. The event aims to identify existing best practice, training and intervention needs as well as related policy considerations for Europe.

The meeting brings together 15 European health professionals and researchers experienced in providing interventions relating to NPS, or knowledgeable in this domain. They will focus on responding to NPS in a variety of health and intervention settings (family and school; accident and hospital emergency departments and poison centres; bars, clubs and festivals; sexual health clinics, specialised treatment centres, low-threshold agencies; prisons; helplines and e-health).

The meeting will lay the foundations for an EMCDDA publication in 2016 addressing NPS-related harms and health-related interventions. The publication will be practice-oriented and of added value to professionals working in these settings.

Overview of agenda

About the experts

Fifteen European experts will focus on responding to NPS in the following settings:

family and school
accident and hospital emergency departments and poison centres
bars, clubs and festivals
sexual health clinics, specialised treatment centres, low-threshold agencies
prisons
helplines and e-health.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Responses to NPS in emergency departments, nightlife settings and on the Internet

Christopher Yates (Emergency Medicine Department/Clinical Toxicology Unit, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain)
Rainer Schmid (Toxicologist University of Vienna, ChEck iT!, Austria)
Cristiana Pires (APDES/CHECK!N) and Maria Carmo Carvalho (Catholic University of Porto)
Emma Crawshaw (Crew2000-UK)
Tom Evenepoel (Druglijn, Belgium)

Responses to NPS in sexual health clinics and prisons

Fred Bladou (Aides, France)
David Stuart (Chelsea & Westminster hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 56 Dean Street GUM/HIV, Substance Use Lead, United Kingdom)
Kieran Lynch (Criminal Justice Programme Manager. Public Health England, United Kingdom)