New psychoactive substances, sold online as 'legal highs' or disguised as 'bath salts' and 'plant food', are increasingly used by young people in Sweden. In a project monitoring these drugs, urine and blood samples from 103 emergency department cases of suspected recreational drug intoxication were analyzed. Psychoactive substances were detected in 82% of cases; 78% of subjects were 25 or younger, and 81% were male. Detected substances included synthetic cannabinoids, substituted cathinones, tryptamines, plant-based substances, and conventional drugs. In 44% of cases, more than one new or conventional drug was present. The findings document widespread use of diverse new psychoactive substances among Swedish youth.
Over a 4-year period, 103 urine samples from mainly young people (age range 13-52 years, median 19) were collected at emergency wards in Sweden from patients who admitted or were suspected of ingesting psychoactive plant materials. Among 53 cases where ingestion of any of 11 plant-derived substances was admitted or suspected, 41 (77%) were confirmed by bioanalytical methods. Psilocin from hallucinogenic mushrooms was the most frequent drug, accounting for 54% of cases. The most common means of drug acquisition (56%) was purchase over the Internet. Having bioanalytical methods for detection of plant-derived psychoactives is important for clinical toxicology services.