. 2020 Jan 14;86(3):482–498. doi: 10.1111/bcp.14183

Table 1.

Definitions of novel psychoactive substances used by General Mortality Registers in the UK

Agency	Definition	Substances included
Office for National Statistics (ONS)	List of drugs included in the ONS new psychoactive substances grouping. The groups given in the published table are cathinones (of which mephedrone is given separately), GHB (which is understood to include GBL), benzodiazepine analogues, methiopropamine, alpha‐methyltryptamine, benzofurans, novel amphetamines, novel opiates, piperazine derivatives, NBOMEs, synthetic cannabinoids, other NPS The specific substances included in each category are not stated	The specific substances listed in 2018 (in numeric‐alphabetical order) are 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐N‐methylpropan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐6‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 2‐(1H‐indol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethylamine, 25B‐NBOMe, 25C‐NBOMe, 25I‐NBOMe, 2‐aminoindane, 2‐diphenylmethylpyrrolidine, 3‐FPM, 3‐methoxyphencyclidine, 4,4′‐DMAR, 4‐fluoroephedrine, 4‐fluoromethcathinone, 4‐methoxymethcathinone, 4‐methylamphetamine, 4‐methylethcathinone, 4‐methylpentedrone, 5‐EAPB, 5F‐ADB, 5F‐AKB‐48, 5F‐PB‐22, AB‐CHMINACA, AB‐FUBINACA, acetylfentanyl, AH‐7921, alpha‐methyltryptamine, alpha‐PVP, APB, APDB, benzylfentanyl, butylone, BZP, cathine, cathinone, clephedrone, cyclopropylfentanyl, desoxypipradrol, diclazepam, diphenidine, EAPB, ethylphenidate, etizolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, fluoromethamphetamine, fluoromethcathinone, furanylfentanyl, GHB, khat, MDDA, MDMB‐CHMICA, MDPHP, mephedrone, methiopropamine, methoxetamine, methoxphenidine, methoxyacetylfentanyl, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, methylethcathinone, methylone, mexedrone, N‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐norbornan‐2‐amine, ocfentanil, phenazepam, pyrazolam, synthetic cannabinoid, TFMPP, U‐47700
Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA)	NISRA uses the same approach as used by ONS	The specific substances listed in 2017 (in numeric‐alphabetical order) are 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐N‐methylpropan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐6‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 2‐(1H‐indol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethylamine, 25B‐NBOMe, 25C‐NBOMe, 25I‐NBOMe, 2‐diphenylmethylpyrrolidine, 4,4′‐DMAR, 4‐fluoroephedrine, 4‐fluoromethcathinone, 4‐methoxymethcathinone, 4‐methylamphetamine, 4‐methylethcathinone, 5‐EAPB, 5F‐AKB‐48, 5F‐PB‐22, AB‐CHMINACA, acetylfentanyl, AH‐7921, alpha‐methyltryptamine, APB, APDB, butylone, BZP, cathinone, desoxypipradrol, diclazepam, diphenidine, EAPB, ethylphenidate, etizolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, fluoromethamphetamine, fluoromethcathinone, GHB, khat, MDDA, MDMB‐CHMICA, mephedrone, methiopropamine, methoxetamine, methoxphenidine, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, methylethcathinone, methylone, N‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐norbornan‐2‐amine, phenazepam, pyrazolam, synthetic cannabinoid, TFMPP.
National Records of Scotland (NRS)	“The term ‘New Psychoactive Substances’ (NPS) is meant to cover the kinds of substances that people have, in recent years, begun to use for intoxicating purposes. In general, when an NPS first became available it would not have been a controlled substance under the misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Some NPS may still not be controlled under that Act; if so, they will be covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act, which came into force on 26 May 2016. The definition of NPS therefore includes substances which some people have described as ‘legal highs’ (by which is meant substances which were legally available at the time of the death, whether or not they have since become controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act or become subject to the Psychoactive Substances Act).” The substances are then categorised into three groups as detailed in the adjacent column	“NPS already controlled substances at the start of 2009 (the first year in which deaths involving NPS were first registered”: acetyl fentanyl, PMA/paramethoxyamphetamine, PMMA/paramethoxymethamphetamine. “NPS that became controlled substances between the start of 2009 and the end of 2018 (that is, ones whose classification changed during the period covered by these [published] figures for deaths involving NPS”): BZP/benzylpiperazine, CPP/chlorophenylpiperazine, TFMPP/trifluoroethylphenylpiperazine, chloromethcathinone, MDPV/methylenedioxypyrovalerone, mephedrone/4‐methylmethcahinone, 4‐MEC/methylethcathinone, methylone, PVP, naphyrone, phenazepam, 3‐methoxyphencyclidine, APB/2‐aminopropyl‐benzofuran/5 APB/6 APB, API/5‐API/5‐IT/5‐(2‐aminopropyl)indole – APB, AMT/alphamethyltryptamine, 5‐MEO‐DALT, 4‐4'‐DMAR, ethylphenidate, MPA/methylthienylpropamine/ methiopropamine, AKB48, MDMB‐CHMICA, 5F‐PB‐22, diclazepam, etizolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, pyrazolam, 4F‐EPH/4‐fluoroethylphenidate. “NPS which were not controlled substances at the end of 2018 (some of which may have since become controlled substances)”: AB‐FUBINACA, camfetamine, diphenidine, kratom, mexedrone, mitragynine, MXP, 5F‐MDMB‐PINACA.

Agency

Definition

Substances included

Office for National Statistics (ONS)

List of drugs included in the ONS new psychoactive substances grouping. The groups given in the published table are cathinones (of which mephedrone is given separately), GHB (which is understood to include GBL), benzodiazepine analogues, methiopropamine, alpha‐methyltryptamine, benzofurans, novel amphetamines, novel opiates, piperazine derivatives, NBOMEs, synthetic cannabinoids, other NPS

The specific substances included in each category are not stated

The specific substances listed in 2018 (in numeric‐alphabetical order) are 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐N‐methylpropan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐6‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 2‐(1H‐indol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethylamine, 25B‐NBOMe, 25C‐NBOMe, 25I‐NBOMe, 2‐aminoindane, 2‐diphenylmethylpyrrolidine, 3‐FPM, 3‐methoxyphencyclidine, 4,4′‐DMAR, 4‐fluoroephedrine, 4‐fluoromethcathinone, 4‐methoxymethcathinone, 4‐methylamphetamine, 4‐methylethcathinone, 4‐methylpentedrone, 5‐EAPB, 5F‐ADB, 5F‐AKB‐48, 5F‐PB‐22, AB‐CHMINACA, AB‐FUBINACA, acetylfentanyl, AH‐7921, alpha‐methyltryptamine, alpha‐PVP, APB, APDB, benzylfentanyl, butylone, BZP, cathine, cathinone, clephedrone, cyclopropylfentanyl, desoxypipradrol, diclazepam, diphenidine, EAPB, ethylphenidate, etizolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, fluoromethamphetamine, fluoromethcathinone, furanylfentanyl, GHB, khat, MDDA, MDMB‐CHMICA, MDPHP, mephedrone, methiopropamine, methoxetamine, methoxphenidine, methoxyacetylfentanyl, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, methylethcathinone, methylone, mexedrone, N‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐norbornan‐2‐amine, ocfentanil, phenazepam, pyrazolam, synthetic cannabinoid, TFMPP, U‐47700

Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA)

NISRA uses the same approach as used by ONS

The specific substances listed in 2017 (in numeric‐alphabetical order) are 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐N‐methylpropan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐5‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 1‐(benzofuran‐6‐yl)‐propan‐2‐amine, 2‐(1H‐indol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethylamine, 25B‐NBOMe, 25C‐NBOMe, 25I‐NBOMe, 2‐diphenylmethylpyrrolidine, 4,4′‐DMAR, 4‐fluoroephedrine, 4‐fluoromethcathinone, 4‐methoxymethcathinone, 4‐methylamphetamine, 4‐methylethcathinone, 5‐EAPB, 5F‐AKB‐48, 5F‐PB‐22, AB‐CHMINACA, acetylfentanyl, AH‐7921, alpha‐methyltryptamine, APB, APDB, butylone, BZP, cathinone, desoxypipradrol, diclazepam, diphenidine, EAPB, ethylphenidate, etizolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, fluoromethamphetamine, fluoromethcathinone, GHB, khat, MDDA, MDMB‐CHMICA, mephedrone, methiopropamine, methoxetamine, methoxphenidine, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, methylethcathinone, methylone, N‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐norbornan‐2‐amine, phenazepam, pyrazolam, synthetic cannabinoid, TFMPP.

National Records of Scotland (NRS)

“The term ‘New Psychoactive Substances’ (NPS) is meant to cover the kinds of substances that people have, in recent years, begun to use for intoxicating purposes. In general, when an NPS first became available it would not have been a controlled substance under the misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Some NPS may still not be controlled under that Act; if so, they will be covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act, which came into force on 26 May 2016. The definition of NPS therefore includes substances which some people have described as ‘legal highs’ (by which is meant substances which were legally available at the time of the death, whether or not they have since become controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act or become subject to the Psychoactive Substances Act).”

The substances are then categorised into three groups as detailed in the adjacent column

“NPS already controlled substances at the start of 2009 (the first year in which deaths involving NPS were first registered”: acetyl fentanyl, PMA/paramethoxyamphetamine, PMMA/paramethoxymethamphetamine.
“NPS that became controlled substances between the start of 2009 and the end of 2018 (that is, ones whose classification changed during the period covered by these [published] figures for deaths involving NPS”): BZP/benzylpiperazine, CPP/chlorophenylpiperazine, TFMPP/trifluoroethylphenylpiperazine, chloromethcathinone, MDPV/methylenedioxypyrovalerone, mephedrone/4‐methylmethcahinone, 4‐MEC/methylethcathinone, methylone, PVP, naphyrone, phenazepam, 3‐methoxyphencyclidine, APB/2‐aminopropyl‐benzofuran/5 APB/6 APB, API/5‐API/5‐IT/5‐(2‐aminopropyl)indole – APB, AMT/alphamethyltryptamine, 5‐MEO‐DALT, 4‐4'‐DMAR, ethylphenidate, MPA/methylthienylpropamine/ methiopropamine, AKB48, MDMB‐CHMICA, 5F‐PB‐22, diclazepam, etizolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, pyrazolam, 4F‐EPH/4‐fluoroethylphenidate.
“NPS which were not controlled substances at the end of 2018 (some of which may have since become controlled substances)”: AB‐FUBINACA, camfetamine, diphenidine, kratom, mexedrone, mitragynine, MXP, 5F‐MDMB‐PINACA.

Abbreviations: GBL, gamma‐Butyrolactone; GHB, gamma‐Hydroxybutyric acid; MDPHP, 3',4'‐Methylenedioxy‐α‐pyrrolidinohexiophenone; MDDA, 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐N,N‐dimethylamphetamine; NBOME, N‐methoxybenzyl.

Note. The molecules listed are only those which have been implicated in the cause of death of cases registered within that agency's jurisdiction.

Sources. NISRA34, NRS32 and ONS33.