Governments Can’t Keep Up With New Drugs

The world has experienced an “unprecedented” surge in new synthetic drugs, which has resulted in substances flooding the market before governments can identify and outlaw them. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report released Tuesday, 348 synthetic drugs were created between 2008 and 2013, with 97 of them produced in 2013 alone. Synthetic cannabinoids made up 28 percent of the new drugs, followed by synthetic cathinones, like the infamous “bath salts,” at 25 percent. These drugs aren’t technically illegal under international conventions, but still may pose health risks. While these drugs may slip under the radar, the report notes that methamphetamines certainly have not. Global seizures of the substance hit a record high.