Nunzia La Maida, Valeria Aquilina, Fabio Vaiano, Marco Cavallo, Carlo Alessandro Locatelli, Guido Mannaioni, Davide Arillotta, Simona Pichini, Annagiulia Di Trana, Silvia Graziano
{"title":"The rising trend of MDPHP consumption: an Italian snapshot.","authors":"Nunzia La Maida, Valeria Aquilina, Fabio Vaiano, Marco Cavallo, Carlo Alessandro Locatelli, Guido Mannaioni, Davide Arillotta, Simona Pichini, Annagiulia Di Trana, Silvia Graziano","doi":"10.1093/jat/bkaf024","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Synthetic cathinones (SCs) were confirmed as the second most prevalent class of NPS in 2024, underscoring their widespread availability and use. Notably, the SCs seizure and related intoxication cases increased within the European Union, involving mostly 3-chloromethcathinone, 3-methylmethcathinone, 2-methylmethcathinone, and N-ethylnorpentedrone. Italy has observed a distinct trend, with methylendioxy pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MDPHP) emerging as a significant concern. This technical note aims to provide a comparative analysis of the most recent data concerning the emergence and the spread of MDPHP in Italy. Data from the National Early Warning System on Drugs indicate that the total amount of seized MDPHP increased from 2021 to 2024. In 2023, MDPHP-related intoxication cases peaked at 47, considering either alone or in combination with other drugs, followed by a slight decrease in 2024. In Italy, MDPHP seems to dominate the Italian black market of SCs and with two fatalities reported. This increased demand for MDPHP raises health concerns, indicating the necessity to enhance drug-related harm reduction services and improve a multidisciplinary network that provides data for understanding the complex phenomenon of NPS.</p>","PeriodicalId":14905,"journal":{"name":"Journal of analytical toxicology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of analytical toxicology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkaf024","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Synthetic cathinones (SCs) were confirmed as the second most prevalent class of NPS in 2024, underscoring their widespread availability and use. Notably, the SCs seizure and related intoxication cases increased within the European Union, involving mostly 3-chloromethcathinone, 3-methylmethcathinone, 2-methylmethcathinone, and N-ethylnorpentedrone. Italy has observed a distinct trend, with methylendioxy pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MDPHP) emerging as a significant concern. This technical note aims to provide a comparative analysis of the most recent data concerning the emergence and the spread of MDPHP in Italy. Data from the National Early Warning System on Drugs indicate that the total amount of seized MDPHP increased from 2021 to 2024. In 2023, MDPHP-related intoxication cases peaked at 47, considering either alone or in combination with other drugs, followed by a slight decrease in 2024. In Italy, MDPHP seems to dominate the Italian black market of SCs and with two fatalities reported. This increased demand for MDPHP raises health concerns, indicating the necessity to enhance drug-related harm reduction services and improve a multidisciplinary network that provides data for understanding the complex phenomenon of NPS.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Analytical Toxicology (JAT) is an international toxicology journal devoted to the timely dissemination of scientific communications concerning potentially toxic substances and drug identification, isolation, and quantitation.
Since its inception in 1977, the Journal of Analytical Toxicology has striven to present state-of-the-art techniques used in toxicology labs. The peer-review process provided by the distinguished members of the Editorial Advisory Board ensures the high-quality and integrity of articles published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology. Timely presentation of the latest toxicology developments is ensured through Technical Notes, Case Reports, and Letters to the Editor.