Novel psychoactive substances: What educators need to know

Abstract

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are synthetic, psychoactive drugs that are generally not under international regulatory control. NPS are frequently sold as alternatives to classic “street drugs” such as ecstasy or LSD. However, little is known about their pharmacology and toxicity and they therefore pose unknown health risks. Further, risk for harms are elevated because users often do not know what they are taking, and therefore cannot predict dose, potency, or other potential properties.