Abstract
ABSTRACT Turkey’s pivotal position bridging Asia and Europe, amid ongoing civil unrest in the south, has turned it into a crucial hub for drug trafficking along the Silk Road. Yet, there is a notable dearth of research on the influx of new psychoactive substances along this route. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of use of 5F-EMB PICA, MDMB-4-en PINACA, isotonitazene, 3-fluoroamphetamine, 2-methylamphetamine, and flualprazolam. A quantitative analysis of urine and blood samples of 250 participants was performed which were sent to our Forensic Toxicology Laboratory for drug/stimulant investigation. The analysis was carried out using liquid chromatography sequential mass spectrometry. The average age of starting substance use was 19.51 ± 7.25 years, and the mean duration of substance use was 6.34 ± 5.77 years. The MDMB-4-en PINACA substance was detected in 18.4% of 250 participants, while no other NPS group substances were found. The MDMB-4-en PINACA was detected in 18% of all urine samples and 12.4% of blood samples. The frequency of use of MDMB-4-en PINACA has increased significantly in our region, albeit in a short period of time. MDMB-4-en PINACA should be added to the systematics of toxicology laboratories.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call