Nine new substances, so-called net drugs, which often appear in the form of sweets, tablets and vapes, are now classified as narcotics.
But it is difficult to access new substances as it is only required to change one chemical detail for it to become legal to sell again.
– It is a constant struggle, says Jenny Åberg, expert and chemist at the Swedish Customs.
The government has decided to classify nine new substances as narcotics. These are NPS preparations, new psychoactive substances, which are also known as net drugs. Among other things, the cannabis drug HHC, which was sold openly in shops, is now banned.
The nine substances are counted as drugs as of June 11, following a ruling from the Public Health Authority.
– Among other things, we look at the damage they can cause to the individual or society. There must be information that they are used and that they meet the requirements of the law. There are new substances coming all the time and we have to try to work to classify as many as possible, says Joakim Strandberg, unit manager for drug prevention at the Public Health Agency.
The difference: Can lead to prosecution and punishment
Today, the police and customs have the right to seize and destroy substances if they are suspected of being used for drug use. What substances they find are reported to the Public Health Agency, which in turn decides whether it should be classified as a narcotic.
When these nine substances are now classified as narcotics, the difference is that it is not allowed to bring them into the country, which can lead to prosecution and punishment.
“Very easy to make new drugs”
It takes a long time to investigate a single substance and then it may be enough to change a small chemical detail for it to be legal again.
– It is a concern that it is very easy to make new drugs. What is difficult to predict is what difference it makes to the effects of these drugs in the body, says Jenny Åberg, expert and chemist at the Swedish Customs Administration.
She explains that after the chemical changes, the drugs can become really dangerous and mentions the drug Spice as an example, which after a few years led to cases of poisoning and death.
– Since new substances can appear all the time, we need to work preventively to inform about the risks involved in using substances where you don’t know what effects they have. We also need to understand why people or young people use the substances and try to reduce those reasons, says Joakim Strandberg, unit manager for drug prevention at the Public Health Agency.