WADA partnered to deliver ninth annual International Conference on Novel Psychoactive Substances

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was at the forefront of important discussions that took place at the ninth International Conference on Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in Panama City this week.

The hybrid event ran from 24-26 October 2022 and was jointly organized by WADA, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the International Society for the Study of Emerging Drugs (ISSED), and the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.

Under the UNODC definition, NPS are substances of abuse, either in a pure form or a preparation, that are not controlled by international conventions, but which may pose a public health threat.

WADA’s Senior Director of Science & Medicine, Dr. Olivier Rabin, was among those who welcomed participants to the conference, which focused on a number of topics, including: the latest trends of NPS use; clinical treatment and management of NPS use; policy and legislative responses; prevention measures; pharmacology and public health implications; and socio-cultural factors underlying NPS use.

Dr. Rabin said: “WADA was thrilled with the outcomes of this year’s International Conference on Novel Psychoactive Substances, which featured interesting presentations that stimulated important discussions between a range of stakeholders. New psychoactive drugs are emerging at an alarming rate, and the bridges formed this week between different organizations, medical professionals and governments are important not only in the context of clean sport, but in battling what has become a societal issue in many regions of the world. It is important that we continue to collaborate across disciplines, share information and work harmoniously to combat this multifaceted issue.”

Along with his welcome address, Dr. Rabin also chaired a plenary session and delivered the final keynote speech of the conference focused on raising the game in the fight against emerging drugs in sport.

In addition, WADA Associate Director, Prohibited List, Dr. Irene Mazzoni, moderated a session on NPS pharmacology and toxicology.

To see the full conference program, please click here.