New psychoactive substances in Europe : innovative legal responses

The first report of this series of publications looked at developments in the market for new psychoactive substances from the perspective of the EU Early Warning System. The report examined the growth in the number, types and availability of these substances that has occurred recently, some of the factors driving this, and the increase in the harms caused by these substances as a result. In response to this growing problem, countries in Europe have developed a range of policy measures in order to reduce this availability, use and harm. One such measure is laws intended to regulate or prohibit various elements of the trade. The EMCDDA has already produced a number of publications and resources on these legislative developments, but this report takes a closer look at the more innovative legal responses that have been designed to address this challenge.