This article focuses on the repercussions of scheduling NPS as they emerge on the “legal” market. Particularly U-49900, a synthetic opioid that is an analogue of U-47700 (which is itself an analog of an earlier now-banned opioid: AH-7921) It seems that demand for novel opioids does not decrease when a compound is scheduled, and if the supply for a certain substance dwindles, users are bound to seek an alternative. While it is clear that a solution needs to be found, this article suggests that perhaps quickly and systematically scheduling new compounds as they gain popularity can be complemented with other prevention measures in response to the growing problem of NPS abuse.
Research