{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T02:14:23Z","timestamp":1791598463529,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,7]],"date-time":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1594080000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"Background<\/jats:title>About 15 years ago, a diverse group of new recreational psychotropic substances began to emerge, which were marketed for example as \u201clegal highs,\u201d \u201cresearch chemicals,\u201d or \u201cdesigner drugs.\u201d These substances were later subsumed under the label \u201cNovel Psychoactive Substances\u201d (NPS). Important NPS classes are cathinones, synthetic cannabimimetics, phenethylamines, and herbal drugs. The health care system for psychotropic substance use disorders (SUDs) traditionally focused on a few substances, such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, or cannabis. Users of illicit substances often engage in polydrug use. However little is known about the prevalence of NPS use within the group of \u201cclassical\u201d illicit substance users.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Objective<\/jats:title>We investigated lifetime and recent use of NPS and other drugs in patients who underwent in-patient detoxification treatment from illicit drugs in Germany.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Methods<\/jats:title>In a multicenter study with eight participating facilities, patients admitted to treatment underwent a standardized interview at admission, concerning their past and current substance use. The interview comprised classical substances of abuse, NPS, and rarely used substances such as LSD. In addition, participating sites had the opportunity to analyze their patients\u2019 routine drug screenings by means of gas chromatography\/mass spectrometry (GC\/MS), which permitted detection of NPS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Results<\/jats:title>Interviews from 295 patients could be analyzed. Most patients were opiate dependent and multiple substance users. About 32% reported use of synthetic cannabimimetics during lifetime, but usually only a few times. An important reason for their use was that NPS were not detected by drug testing in prisons or drug treatment facilities. Cathinones, herbal drugs or other NPS had rarely been used during lifetime. NPS use during the last 30 days before admission was nearly zero. This was confirmed by urine analysis results. In contrast, lifetime and current use of opiates, alcohol, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and cannabis was high. In addition, 18% reported of regular unprescribed pregabalin use during lifetime, and 20% had recently used pregabalin.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Conclusion<\/jats:title>Patients admitted to drug detoxification treatment showed multiple substance use, but this did not include NPS use. The diversion of legal medications such as pregabalin in this group is a serious concern.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2020.00569","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,7]],"date-time":"2020-07-07T05:33:01Z","timestamp":1594099981000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":43,"title":["Prevalence of Novel Psychoactive Substance (NPS) Use in Patients Admitted to Drug Detoxification Treatment"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Michael","family":"Specka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"Kuhlmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J\u00fcrgen","family":"Sawazki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Udo","family":"Bonnet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renate","family":"Steinert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"Cybulska-Rycicki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Helmut","family":"Eich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benita","family":"Zeiske","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antje","family":"Niedersteberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luzia","family":"Schaaf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norbert","family":"Scherbaum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0043-102059","article-title":"New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) \u2013 a Challenge for the Addiction Treatment Services","volume":"50","author":"Scherbaum","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pharmacopsychiatry"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(19)32231-7","article-title":"New psychoactive substances: challenges for drug surveillance, control, and public health responses","volume":"394","author":"Peacock","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B3","article-title":"European Drug Report 2016: Trends and developments","year":"2016"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e015716","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-015716","article-title":"Characteristics of NPS use in patients admitted to acute psychiatric services in Southeast Scotland: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis following public health interventions","volume":"7","author":"Bennett","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B5","unstructured":"LuxembourgPublications Office of the European UnionNew psychoactive substances in Europe: An update from the EU Early Warning System March 20152015"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2019.02.021","article-title":"Death cases involving certain new psychoactive substances: A review of the literature","volume":"298","author":"Kraemer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Forensic Sci Int"},{"key":"B7","unstructured":"Substanzkonsum und Hinweise auf klinisch relevanten Konsum in Bayern, Hamburg, Hessen, Nordrhein Westfalen, Sachsen und Th\u00fcringen. 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