Tracking trends in new psychoactive substance poisonings with Annette Nugteren-van LonkhuyzenTracking trends in new psychoactive substance poisonings with Annette Nugteren-van Lonkhuyzen
Addiction Audio
Dr Elle Wadsworth speaks with toxicologist Annette Nugteren-van Lonkhuyzen about 14 years of Dutch data on new psychoactive substance poisonings and how trends link to changes in drug laws. The conversation outlines which substances cause most harm and how poison centre data can highlight emerging risks in the drug market.
18:16•24 Jul 2026
New Psychoactive Substances and Poisonings: What Dutch Data Reveal
Episode Overview
- NPS are described as recreational drugs designed as legal alternatives to traditional banned substances.
- Dutch law shifted from banning individual NPS to banning whole groups such as synthetic cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids.
- Poison centre data from 2012–2025 showed a sharp rise in NPS poisonings, from 32 cases to 829 cases per year.
- More than 80% of NPS poisonings involved cathinones, benzodiazepines and phenethylamines, with specific substances like 3-MMC, 4-MMC, bromazolam and 2C-B standing out.
- Poison centre data are presented as a valuable tool to identify emerging health threats and inform medical professionals and policy-makers about NPS-related harms.
“To me, it seems a bit like playing Russian roulette, I think.”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery when drugs themselves keep changing shape? This episode of Addiction Audio zooms in on new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the harm they cause, with a clear focus on data rather than drama. Host Dr Elle Wadsworth chats with PhD student and toxicologist Annette Nugteren-van Lonkhuyzen from the Dutch National Poisons Information Centre in Utrecht.
Together, they unpack Annette’s long-term study of NPS poisonings reported to the Dutch Poisons Information Centre over 14 years, using a huge database of telephone consultations from medical professionals. As Annette explains, NPS are “recreational drugs that are designed as legal alternatives for classical recreational drugs”, and that legal cat-and-mouse game sits at the heart of the discussion.
You’ll hear how Dutch drug laws shifted from banning individual substances to prohibiting whole groups, such as synthetic cathinones, phenethylamines, fentanyl derivatives and synthetic cannabinoids. Annette shows how these policy changes line up (or sometimes don’t) with trends in poisonings. For example, some bans were followed by a drop in incidents, while for “3-MMC… even in the years after the ban, there’s an increase in the number of poisonings”.
The conversation breaks down which drug classes caused the most problems, with over 80% of cases involving cathinones, benzodiazepines and phenethylamines. Annette also explains why she finds it “a bit like playing Russian roulette” that people take substances that can cause severe harm even after one dose. This episode suits researchers, clinicians, policy-makers and anyone curious about how health data can flag emerging drug threats.
If you’re interested in how poison centres can support public health and safer responses to NPS, this one offers plenty to think about. How might these trends influence the way you view so-called ‘legal highs’ and their risks?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.