Abstract
BACKGROUND: The use of new synthetic drugs (NSD) in the Czech Republic has been on the rise since 2010. Besides other means of supply, they are available via the internet.
In 2015, the fifth wave of a survey focusing on the supply of new synthetic drugs through online shops targeting the Czech population was carried out. AIMS: The aim of the survey was to map the supply of NSD via the internet, as well as to identify substances which have not yet been reported and put under control in the Czech Republic.
DESIGN AND METHODS: A targeted search of online shops was performed using keyword strings. Relevant sites were subjected to content descriptive analysis.
SAMPLE: 33 e-shops offering new psychoactive substances were identified in 2015, of which nine specialised in synthetic substances. RESULTS: The e-shops specialising in NSD offered 145 different substances and 60 products containing NSD; these mostly involved synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones.
Altogether, 63% of the substances on offer have not yet been reported or subjected to control in the Czech Republic. CONCLUSIONS: The supply of NSD via the internet has been increasing.
The monitoring of the internet is a useful complementary method for drug market monitoring. However, its usability for the Early Warning System used to raise alerts concerning new drugs is limited without detailed analysis of the samples.