Preliminary Detection of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in Synthetic Drugs Seizures in the Northeast Brazil in a Period of Two Years (2014–2016)

Abstract

In the period from 2014 to 2016 a growing number of seizures of synthetic drugs, such as blotter papers, tablets, powders and crystals has occurred in the states of Bahia and Sergipe in the northeast region of Brazil following a worldwide trend. Thus 345 seizures of these materials were performed by local police, leading to the detection of 27 Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) classified as phenethylamines, cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids, tryptamines and opioids. Among the previously detected compounds, three cathinones (dimethylone, dibutylone and N-ethylpentylone) and one synthetic opioid (U-47700) are not included in the banned substances scheduled at Ordinance No. 344/98 SVS/ANVISA (an acronym in Portuguese for National Health Surveillance Agency) and updates, making their consumption not prohibited in Brazil. The aim of this work is to report the detection and the emergence of NPS in this region of Brazil, using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with updated spectral libraries. This technique has been shown to be an important tool in the preliminary detection of these substances, considering there are no chemical tests available for screening as a preliminary technique. Otherwise, results obtained with GC-MS have been confirmed in an initial study using others analytical tools such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as the definitive identification techniques with results that will be published in the near future.