THE GERMAN NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE LAW NPSG PERCEIVED

THE GERMAN NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE LAW (NPSG): PERCEIVED AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES IN THE FIRST STAGE OF IMPLEMENTATION. Tessa-Virginia Hannemann 1 Daniela Piontek 1 Institut für Therapieforschung München 1 IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, Munich, Germany 2 ND EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOURS AND DEPENDENCIES 24. -26. OCTOBER 2017, LISBON PAPER SESSION 7: NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES (NPS) - A CHALLENGE FOR RESPONSES Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 1

Institut für Therapieforschung München BACKGROUND • 2013 „Psychoactive Substance Act“: • • • all new substances are to be subject to a risk assessment before being sold, analog to medicines. Cost lies with producers and retailers. Problematic: many of the parameters assessed can only be evaluated after clearance (Wilkins, 2014); and some test to determine addiction potential are not admitted in the assessment (Reuter & Pardo, 2017 a) • 2016 „ Psychoactive Substances Act“ • • • Any substance „capable of producing a psychoactive effect in the person that consumes it” is prohibited Psychoactive effect is defined as anything that stimulates or depressed the consumers nervous system or alters the mental functioning and/or emotional state. Exceptions are alcohol, tobacco, medicines, substances, used for research purposes and previously controlled substances Problematic: difficult to define psychoactive, punishment not necessarily in relation to the risk of the substance (Reuter & Pardo, 2017 b) 2016 “Gesetz zur Bekämpfung der Verbreitung neuer psychoaktiver Stoffe (Np. SG)” • • • entire substance groups are outlawed based on their composition mainly cannabinoids, phenethylamines and cathinones focus on trafficking ability to confiscate substances, esp. smoking mixtures and bath salts Exceptions are NPS that have already been outlawed via “traditional legislation” Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 2

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESEARCH QUESTIONS • Are users aware of the new legislation? • What changes in the general trends in drug use are anticipated with the new legislation? • What changes in personal drug use are anticipated with the new legislation? • What changes in adverse consequences due to NPS consumption are anticipated? • • • What are the substances being taken by NPS users (established and new)? What are the sources used by users? What are the risks and harms perceived in taking established substances and NPS? Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 3

Institut für Therapieforschung München METHODS Two phases • • first 4 months -- Nov. 2016 – March 2017 after 9 -12 months of new legislation – Sept. - Dec. 2017 Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 4

Institut für Therapieforschung München METHODS Two phases • • first 4 months -- Nov. 2016 – March 2017 after 9 -12 months of new legislation – Sept. - Dec. 2017 Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 5

Institut für Therapieforschung München METHODS Two phases • • first 4 months -- Nov. 2016 – March 2017 after 9 -12 months of new legislation – Sept. - Dec. 2017 Online survey ü ü ü ü Consumption of established substances (litetime, 12 -month and 30 -day prevalence, 30 -day frequency) Consumption of NPS (type and name, litetime, 12 -month and 30 -day prevalence, 30 -day frequency Supply sources for NPS Money spent /money willing to be spent on NPS Risks associated/perceivede with NPS consumption Knowledge about the new legislation Assumed changes in personal, /general drug use behaviour, in drug market due to new legislation Sociodemographics Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 6

Institut für Therapieforschung München METHODS Two phases first 4 months -- Nov. 2016 – March 2017 after 9 -12 months of new legislation – Sept. - Dec. 2017 • • Online survey ü ü ü ü Consumption of established substances (litetime, 12 -month and 30 -day prevalence, 30 -day frequency) Consumption of NPS (type and name, litetime, 12 -month and 30 -day prevalence, 30 -day frequency Supply sources for NPS Money spent /money willing to be spent on NPS Risks associated/perceivede with NPS consumption Knowledge about the new legislation Assumed changes in personal, /general drug use behaviour, in drug market due to new legislation Sociodemographics Sample: n valid data sets NPS consumers familiar with Np. SG 241 87 65 % of total 100% 36. 1% 27% ⌀ age (SD) 25. 4 (8. 6) 25. 7 (9. 5) 25. 8 (8. 6) % female 33. 2% 21% 14. 3% Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 7

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Substances consumed Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 8

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Use of NPS 12 -months 30 -days NPS Frequency (mean, 30 -day) 36. 1% 19. 9% SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS 7. 5% 5. 0% 19. 9 SMOKING MIXTURES 7. 9% 3. 3% 17. 1 BATH SALTS 2. 1% 1. 2% 4. 3 RESEARCH CHEMICALS 27. 4% 14. 1% 5. 0 5. 8% 3. 7% 8. 9 OTHERS Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 9

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Use of NPS Most frequently named NPS • 1 p-LSD • O-PCE • 5 F-ADB • ODT • U-47700 • 2 C-B Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 10

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Use of NPS Most frequently named NPS • 1 p-LSD • O-PCE • 5 F-ADB • ODT • U-47700 • 2 C-B Lisbon Addictions drug legislation (Bt. MG) illegal under Np. SG currently legal 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 11

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Use of NPS Most frequently named NPS • 1 p-LSD • O-PCE • 5 F-ADB • ODT • U-47700 • 2 C-B drug legislation (Bt. MG) illegal under Np. SG currently legal àNone conrolled under not the Np. SG Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 12

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Use of NPS Most frequently named NPS • 1 p-LSD • O-PCE • 5 F-ADB • ODT • U-47700 • 2 C-B drug legislation (Bt. MG) illegal under Np. SG currently legal àNone conrolled under not the Np. SG Respondents spent an average of € 36. 94 (SD= 71. 32, 0 -500) per month on NPS Willing to pay average of € 79. 33 (SD=160. 62; 0 -1000)per month Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 13

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Associated risks of NPS (0 = not at all likely, 10 = very likely) Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 14

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS Knowledge on Np. SG – “Do you know of the Np. SG”? Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 15

Institut für Therapieforschung München RESULTS What changes in consumption do you anticipate due to Np. SG… …. in the general population … concerning your personal consumption Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 16

Institut für Therapieforschung München OUTLOOK AND DISCUSSION What we learned from the first phase • • • Only few participants used NPS, even less exclusively NPS users estimated the risks similarly to entire sample Of NPS used, Research Chemicals were most popular Most popular RC are not controlled under the Np. SG Most users anticipate little to no change in their personal drug use and that of the general population due to the Np. SG Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 17

Institut für Therapieforschung München OUTLOOK AND DISCUSSION What we learned from the first phase • • • Only few participants used NPS, even less exclusively NPS users estimated the risks similarly to entire sample Of NPS used, Research Chemicals were most popular Most popular RC are not controlled under the Np. SG Most users anticipate little to no change in their personal drug use and that of the general population due to the Np. SG Data now gathered will bring more insight into the effectiveness of the new legislation from the viewpoint of users. Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 18

Institut für Therapieforschung München OUTLOOK AND DISCUSSION What we look forward to • What influence is perceived by consumers? • Contact with law enforcement? • Shift in substances used? • less NPS, more established substances? • Shift in supply sources? • Shift in awareness? • Currently running second phase (until End of 2017) Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 19

Tessa-Virginia Hannemann Institut für Therapieforschung München www. researchgate. net/profie/Tessa-Virginia_Hannemann hannemann@ift. de Institut für Therapieforschung / Leopoldstraße 175/ 80804 München Tel +49 (0) 89 360804 36 Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 20

REFERENCES • Literature • • • Institut für Therapieforschung München Reuter, P. , & Pardo, B. (2017 a). New psychoactive substances: Are there any good options for regulating new psychoactive substances? International Journal of Drug Policy, 40, 117 -122. Reuter, P. , & Pardo, B. (2017 b). Can new psychoactive substances be regulated effectively? An assessment of the British Psychoactive Substances Bill. Addiction, 112, 25 -31. Pictures (in order of appearance) • https: //www. instagram. com/p/BADk. F 6 gn. ONs/ • http: //laoblogger. com/image-post/5701 -ampel-clipart-schwarz-weiss-7. jpg. html • http: //chasematt. com/ Lisbon Addictions 24. – 26. October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal 21