Hallucinogens, synthetic cannabinoids, compounds of plant-based substances and stimulants are the categories of new drugs that reach their consumers in small doses and by mail in the illegal markets of 14 nations of Latin America.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is concerned about this situation.
UNODOC Early Warning Advisory on New Psychoactive Substances, reported that during the last 10 years were detected 178 new psychoactive substances, 30 of these are from Mexico.
This organism explained to the Mexican newspaper El Universal that these new psychoactive substances belong to the categories of hallucinogens, synthetic cannabinoids, plant- based compounds and stimulants, which “include several synthetic cathinones and piperazines.
“The new psychoactive substances reported by Mexico belong to a wide range of chemical groups with psychoactive effects,” the UN Early Warning Advisory told the newspaper.
According to these numbers, in 2017 Latin America exceeded Europe for the first time in the identification of new illicit substances. In the first region, 61 new products were found and in the second one, 51.
Substances and their commercialization
Stimulants, opiates, cannabinoids and dissociatives are some of the compounds that make up new drugs in Latin America, reported the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
This agency detected that it is increasingly common to commercialize these substances in small quantities, often reaching consumers through postal mail. Most of them are more powerful, than even morphine, so they cause serious problems in the body, from intoxication to death, pointed out the EMCDDA.
Concerning this threat, only a few countries implemented Early Warning Systems such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay.
Ketamine, a drug used by veterinarians, is widely consumed in Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia, where it is called “tucibi” or “pink cocaine.” In addition, there are compounds made with 25B-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe and 25I-NBOMe chemicals.
Ecstasy is a drug available in pills, powder or crystals.Its consumption worries the authorities, because although its use is low in North America and Europe, its main buyers are high school and university students as well as electronic music exponents.
A report made by the UN’s Global SMART program stated that the ecstasy market in the region has evolved significantly and has become more complex over time.
This program includes the monitoring of synthetics (analysis, reports and trends), improves the capacity of the selected Member States to generate, manage, analyze, inform and use information on illicit synthetic drugs.
Translated by: José Espinoza
Latinx Newswire
