Monitoring novel psychoactive substances allegedly offered online for sale in Persian and Arabic languages

International Journal of Drug Policy

Volumn 25, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 724-726

  Corazza, Ornella ^a   Assi, Sulaf ^b   Malekianragheb, Saeideh ^a   Beni, Mitra Naderi ^a   Bigdeli, Imanollah ^c,d   Aslanpour, Zoe ^a   Schifano, Fabrizio ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE   (United Kingdom)

^b BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^c Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences   (Iran)

^d SEMNAN UNIVERSITY   (Iran)

Author keywords

Drug of abuse; Internet; Legal highs; Novel psychoactive substances; Research chemicals

Indexed keywords

DRUG; HERBACEOUS AGENT; NEW DRUG; PSYCHOTROPIC AGENT; CENTRAL STIMULANT AGENT;

ARAB; ARTICLE; AWARENESS; DRUG INFORMATION; DRUG LEGISLATION; DRUG MARKETING; DRUG SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM; INFORMATION SYSTEM; INTERNET; IRAN; LANGUAGE; MIDDLE EAST; ONLINE SYSTEM; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PURCHASING; SOCIAL NETWORK; COMMERCIAL PHENOMENA; EUROPE; HEALTH SURVEY; HUMAN; PROCEDURES; STATISTICS AND NUMERICAL DATA; SUBSTANCE ABUSE; SUBSTANCE-RELATED DISORDERS; SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION;

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM STIMULANTS; COMMERCE; EUROPE; HUMANS; INTERNET; LANGUAGE; POPULATION SURVEILLANCE; SUBSTANCE ABUSE DETECTION; SUBSTANCE-RELATED DISORDERS;

EID: 84906043957     PISSN: 09553959     EISSN: 18734758     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.05.005     Document Type: Article

References (18)

1. Abourashed E.A., Abir T., El-Alfy I.A., Walker L. Ephedra in perspective - A current review. Phytotherapy Research 2003, 17:703-712.
2. Arunotayanun W., Gibbons S. Natural product 'legal highs'. Natural Products Reports 2012, 29(11):1304-1316.
3. Assi S., Fergus S., Stair J.L., Corazza O., Schifano F. Emergence and identification of new designer drug products from the Internet. European Pharmaceutical Review 2011, 16(4):68-72.
4. Assi S., Fergus S., Stair J.L. Identification of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) using hyphenated mass spectrometric techniques. Spectroscopy 2012, March 1, Available from:, (accessed 16.10.13). http://www.spectroscopyonline.com/spectroscopy/Mass+Spectrometry/Identification-of-Novel-Psychoactive-Substances-Us/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/765786.
5. Bigdeli I., Corazza O., Aslanpour Z., Schifano F. Novel psychoactive substances (NPS): A study on Persian language websites. Iranian Journal of Public Health 2013, 42(5):511-515.
6. Congress 60 A revolution in drug addiction treatment and recovery 2013, Available at:, (accessed 16.10.13). http://www.congress60.org/EnUS/.
7. Corazza O., Assi S., Simonato P., Corkery J., Bersani F.S., Demetrovics Z., et al. Promoting innovation and excellence to face the rapid diffusion of Novel Psychoactive Substances in the EU: The outcomes of the ReDNet project. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 2013, 28(Special issue):317-323. 10.1002/hup.2299.
8. Deluca P., Davey Z., Corazza O., Di Furia L., Farre M., Flesland L.H., et al. Identifying emerging trends in recreational drug use; outcomes from the Psychonaut Web Mapping Project. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 2012, 39:221-226.
9. EMCDDA - Europol Annual Report on the implementation of Council Decision 2005/387/JHA 2011, Available at:, (accessed 16.10.13). http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_155113_EN_EMCDDA-Europol%20Annual%20Report%202011_2012_final.pdf.
10. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) The EMCDDA report 2012: The state of drugs problem in Europe 2012, Office for the Official Publication of the European Communities, Luxembourg, Available at:, (accessed 16.10.13). http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/events/2012/annual-report.
11. Hallok R.M., Dean A., Knecht Z.A., Spencer J., Taverna E.C. A survey of hallucinogenic mushroom use, factors related to usage, and perceptions of use among college students. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2012, 130:245-248.
12. Iversen L. ACMD, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Consideration of the Novel Psychoactive Substances ('Legal Highs') 2011, Available from:, (accessed 16.04.13). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/119139/acmdnps2011.pdf.
13. Internet World Stats (IWS) World Internet usage statistics news and world population stats 2012, Available at:, (accessed 26.04.12). http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm.
14. Schifano F., Albanese A., Fergus S. Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone 'meow meow'): chemical, pharmacological and clinical issues. Psychopharmacology 2011, 214:593-602.
15. Schifano F., Corazza O., Deluca P., Davey Z. Psychoactive drug or mystical incense? Overview of the online available information on Spice products. International Journal of Culture and Mental Health 2009, 2:137-144.
16. Schifano F., Corkery J., Naidoo V., Oyefeso A., Ghodse H. Overview of amphetamine-type stimulant mortality data; UK, 1997-2007. Neuropsychobiology 2010, 61:122-130.
17. Simonato P.L., Corazza O., Santonastaso P., Corkery J., Assi S., Stair J., et al. Novel psychoactive substances as a novel challenge for health professionals; results from an Italian survey. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 2013, 28(July (Special issue)):324-331. 10.1002/hup.2300.
18. Zarghami M. Methamphetamine has changed the profile of patients utilizing psychiatric emergency services in Iran. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 2011, 5:1-5.