INCB highlights concerns over non-scheduled substances at the 38 th HONLEA
Second Vice-President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB),
Dr. Viroj Sumyai, addressed the 38
th Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA) Asia - Pacific conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Highlighting concerns over misuse and abuse of non-scheduled substances Dr. Sumyai stated that within the principle of share responsibility enshrined within the three international drug control conventions,
"
member States decided to restrict the use of substances with the potential for abuse to that of medical and scientific purposes only, and in the case of their precursor chemicals, for use in legitimate industrial purposes only."
Speaking on the topic of trafficking in synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances (NPS) and chemical precursors, Dr. Sumyai stressed the importance of international cooperation and rapid information sharing in effectively responding to both the increasing misuse of non-scheduled precursor chemicals in illicit synthetic drug manufacture and to counter the rise in abuse of non-scheduled new psychoactive substances reported around the world.
As part of on-going domestic and international responses, the INCB extends its support to Member States in countering the trafficking of non-scheduled substances through its two international initiatives on precursors (Projects Prism and Cohesion) and on new psychoactive substances (Project ION). These initiatives serve as international communication platforms for the notification of incidents involving these substances and for the launching of targeted, time-bound intelligence-gathering operations. Governments can find more information on these initiatives and INCB's other innovative tools to counter trafficking in non-scheduled precursors and new psychoactive substances on the INCB website: http://www.incb.org/incb/en/precursors/index.html