New Psychoactive Substances - A Clinical Nightmare
- Jan 29
- 1 min read
Updated: Feb 22
Recreational drug use is prevalent in nightlife and festival environments, with substances like cocaine, cannabis, MDMA (ecstasy), psilocybin mushrooms, and others being commonly consumed.[1] Polysubstance use, the concurrent use of multiple substances, is particularly concerning due to its potential for increased toxicity[1-5] and complicated clinical presentation and management.[6]
In 2023, there were an estimated 7.6 million drug-related emergency department visits in the United States, primarily for alcohol (41.0%), cannabis (11.8%), opioids (11.6%), methamphetamines (7.2%), cocaine (4.7%), and benzodiazepines (2.5%).[7] Of these, over 22% of visits were attributed to polysubstance use. The emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is further challenging clinical management.[8]
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