Virtual seminar on the International Perspectives on New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)
June 2021 - Berlin, Germany / Online

This seminar was offered within the context of SOLID project funded by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service Exceed program) and implemented at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and across five Universities in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) and China (Shanghai). Our partners informed us about a significant structural change in the drug use consumption patterns in their countries. The experts are reporting a continuous decrease of the trafficking and consumption of opioids, such as opium and heroin, whereas the trafficking and consumption of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) (Central Asia) and methamphetamines (China) especially via internet/darknet is increasing. They are also reporting that the services to reduce the drug related harms and treatment centres have not enough knowledge and tools to deal with patients suffering from overdoses and health problems due to the consumption of NPS/Methamphetamines.

The seminar featured a number of internationally renowned speakers as well as early career researchers, who will shed light on the use patterns, trafficking, monitoring, darknet, policy and research questions on the topic of NPS. As the main target audience, the seminar was oriented at the doctoral and postdoctoral researchers of the SOLID project, therefore had a special focus discussion on the structural changes in the consumption patterns in Central Asian countries and China. The seminar was open for anyone interested in the topic. The presentations lasted  approximately 20 minutes each, followed by 10 minutes discussion time. There was a larger discussion round at the of the seminar.

The seminar started at 8:00 (Frankfurt time), 11:00 (Tashkent time), 12:00 (Nur-Sultan time), 14:00 (Shanghai time), on June 6, 2021.

Videos from the seminar Event programme