Between 1998 and 2002, five new synthetic drugs have undergone risk assessment in the frame of the Joint Action (MBDB, 4-MTA, GHB, ketamine and PMMA). In 2003, the EMCDDA Scientific Committee, supplemented by experts nominated by the Member States and representatives of the European Commission, Europol and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA), carried out risk assessment on four new synthetic drugs: 2C-I (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine), 2C-T-2 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenethylamine), 2C-T-7 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylthiophenethylamine) and TMA-2 (2,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine) (1). As a result, on 27 November 2003, the Council adopted the decision (2) to submit the four compounds to control measures and criminal penalties in the 15 EU countries.
Specific scientific risk assessment of new synthetic drugs is extremely difficult, owing to limited peer-reviewed scientific data. However, information based on animal studies of toxic effects (e.g. for TMA-2), analogy to partially related compounds as well as evidence from other information sources such as individual users reports, media, unofficial publications provide basis for the assessments.
(1) The risk assessment reports are available on the EMCDDA web site.
(2) Council decision 2003/847/JHA of 27 November 2003 concerning control measures and criminal sanctions in respect of the new synthetic drugs 2C-I,2C-T-2, 2C-T-7 and TMA-2.