Emerging Drugs of Abuse

The drug supply evolves rapidly, with new substances emerging faster than testing and treatment can adapt. The session covers nitazenes (more potent than fentanyl, increasingly detected in the supply), xylazine ('tranq') and its wound-care implications, bromazolam and other designer benzodiazepines, kratom and its evolving regulatory status, novel stimulants including 3-MMC and α-PHP, and the testing, treatment and policy responses required. Discussion addresses the China-Mexico precursor supply chain, dark-net drug markets including the post-Hydra landscape, drug-checking services for harm reduction, the FDA-DEA-CDC coordination on emerging substances, and the international surveillance frameworks under UNODC and EMCDDA.