New psychoactive substances

New psychoactive substances, also known as ‘NPS’ or ‘legal highs’, was a name given to a large range of different types of drugs which were not originally controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The substances evaded drug laws by having slight changes in their chemical structure so were marketed as ‘legal’, but their effects were often as dangerous as illegal drugs and unpredictable. They became more available in the late 2000s, especially synthetic cannabinoids, often sold as ‘Spice’, and synthetic cathinones.