General objective:

The objective of the study is to analyze the market and patterns of use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Spain, identifying their evolution, types, contexts of consumption, associated risks, and implications for public health, with special attention to the interaction between supply, demand, and surveillance and alert systems.

Summary:

Over the last two decades, the phenomenon of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has become a structural feature of contemporary drug markets in Europe and, to a lesser extent, in Spain. The high chemical diversity of these compounds, their rapid turnover in the market, and the substitution processes associated with enforcement create a scenario of high toxicological uncertainty and make it difficult to address them within the classic frameworks of control, surveillance, and prevention.

This study analyzes the situation of NPS in Spain from a public health and market analysis perspective, using an approach based on triangulation of sources. The central focus of the research is qualitative and is based on semi-structured interviews with NPS users and professionals in the fields of health, harm reduction, substance analysis, and institutional control, which allows for the capture of trajectories, contexts of use, motivations, and market dynamics from a situated perspective.

This work is complemented by the analysis of specialized scientific and technical literature and information from substance analysis services, reinforcing the interpretive soundness of the results. The study provides a useful analytical framework to guide public policies, prevention strategies, and harm reduction measures adapted to the complexity of the phenomenon.

Keywords:

New psychoactive substances (NPS), Drug markets, Synthetic cathinones, Synthetic cannabinoids, Phenethylamines (2C, NBOMe), Drug checking/substance analysis, Spanish Early Warning System (SEAT), Early Warning System (EWS), Adulteration and substitution, Toxicological uncertainty, Harm reduction, Nightlife, Chemsex / sexualized drug use, Public health, Emerging drug use