dailynewsnblog
Following recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) has decided to place five new psychoactive substances and one medicine under international control.
The recommendations were developed by WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence–ECDD, which consists of global experts analyzing health risks and benefits of psychoactive substances circulating on global markets and alerting to include them under international control if evidence found that their use can cause harm for population health in countries.
“These substances have been brought to WHO’s attention for being clandestinely manufactured, posing serious risk to public health and society without any recognized therapeutic use,” said Dr Deus Mubangizi, WHO Director for Health Product Policy and Standards. “We are pleased that the Commission (on Narcotic Drugs) has accepted the full set of WHO recommendations and added these substances to relevant schedules in the 1961 or 1971 Conventions. We hope countries and communities will increase vigilance and take necessary actions to protect vulnerable groups particularly youth from these substances.”
Four substances placed in Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), as amended by the 1972 Protocol are:
Substance placed in Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971):
Substance placed in Schedule IV of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971):
WHO has been convening the ECDD as a scientific advisory body for over 70 years with the mission to protect populations from harmful substances and to ensure that psychoactive substances are available where needed for medical and scientific purposes. The ECDD conducts scientific reviews at the request of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and is the only treaty-mandated body to provide health recommendations to the Commission to inform decisions in drug policy.
With the ongoing emergence of more harmful substances, including clandestinely manufactured synthetic opioids with no medical use such as fentanyl and nitazenes, Member States expressed interest in more scientific reviews of these substances by WHO in the coming period. Above-mentioned decisions were announced at the 68th regular session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, taking place in Vienna, Austria, on 10-14 March 2025.
