EMCDDA. New report highlights public health risks and increasing availability of ‘designer benzodiazepines’ in Europe 

New benzodiazepines, which are not controlled by international drug laws, come under the spotlight today in a new report released by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) (1). Often marketed as ‘designer benzodiazepines’, these substances are sold as ‘legal’ replacements for controlled benzodiazepines and are becoming increasingly available in Europe. They are monitored by the agency as new psychoactive substances (NPS) through the EU Early Warning System (EWS).

The EMCDDA currently monitors 30 new benzodiazepines, over 80% of which were detected for the first time between 2014 and 2020. Despite this relatively large number, the new benzodiazepine market in Europe is currently dominated by etizolam and flualprazolam — although this may change, as both substances were placed under international control in November 2020. In 2019, 1 240 seizures of new benzodiazepines were reported by the EU Member States (around 5% of NPS seizures). (EMCDDA, News release No 6/2021, Lissabon, 09.06.2021

https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/news/2021/6/report-highlights-public-health-risks-and-increasing-availability-designer-benzodiazepines-europe_en