“n recent decades, countless new synthetic drugs have entered the underground drug supply, and overdose deaths and other drug-related harms have skyrocketed as a result. Media, policymakers, and the general public are concerned — but often misguided — in their attempts to address the issue because they lack accurate information about drugs and drug supply changes.

This four-part series will explore the most commonly used new and emerging synthetic drugs in the United States, the geographic trends in where and when these drugs have spread, and the demographic trends in who is impacted by these drugs. Panelists will examine the risks and harms faced by people who use drugs and discuss the role of harm reduction and medical providers in reducing overdose and health risks. We know that current drug policies fuel and will continue to incentivize new, and likely, more dangerous drugs. As drug policy reformers, people who use drugs, and people who care about people who use drugs, we will envision solutions that are just as innovative and nimble as these new markets.

Keynote + Panel 1: Understanding the Current Drug Supply

In this keynote address, we’ll explore why novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and new markets have emerged in recent years; the motivations for us; and how, when, and where are people exposed to NPS.

In this opening panel, experts will provide an overview of the current drug supply and how it has shifted over the past several decades in response to drug demand and prohibitionist policy changes. They will discuss the emergence of new potent opioids and sedatives into the underground opioid supply (e.g., fentanyl and its analogs, xylazine, etizolam, nitazenes, and medetomidine), the introduction of various adulterants and new cuts (e.g., BTMPS), as well as issues with the stimulant supply (e.g., accidental cross-contamination, counterfeit stimulant pills). How have these shifts unfolded over time? What are the regional and/or state-specific dynamics driving the emergence of these drugs? Which populations have been exposed to or sought out these drugs and what are key racial, ethnic, age, gender, and sexuality differences? What does the shifting supply mean for drug-related harms and our efforts to reduce them? What do we know and what don’t we know? How can we track these shifts better and what policy changes are needed?”