France’s Concern Over New Psychoactive Substance Abuse
Despite having some of the strictest laws for narcotics in Europe, France’s presidentEmmanuel Macron is taking the necessary steps to reform the country’s drug laws following concerns over a continuous rise in drug abuse. In 2015 convictions for drug use in France were 37,160 compared to that of 3,481 in 2000. The number of drug arrests in France increased further in 2016 to nearly 140,000 and 67.5% of the country’s arrests.
According to a 2017 report by the French Observatory for Drugs and Addiction, 700,000 people admitted to using cannabis daily, whilst 1.4 million use it regularly. Overall, 17 million people admitted to trying cannabis in France and the country ranked highest in Europe for 15 – 16 year olds trying the substance, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Similarly, teenage use for marijuana has also been report as at the highest in France.
For a country where opioid abuse is reported as one of the worst in the EU (5% of the adult population), Randox Toxicology provide trusted solutions for drugs of abusescreening. With continuous innovation, our research and development team continue to advance the future of toxicology through pioneering technology and novel tests. Persistently staying ahead of the ever-changing trends, Randox Toxicology are first to market with a range of new psychoactive substances tests, available over two panels.
Utilising our patented Biochip Array Technology, Randox Toxicology offer the world’s first multiplex screening method with excellent cross-reactivity and unrivalled limits of detection. Designed to work across a variety of matrices, this revolutionary multi-analyte testing platform allows toxicologists to achieve a complete immunoassay profile from the initial screening phase.
To find out more information about our extensive drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances test menu, visit Marie-Anne Gomez at SFTA from the 5th – 8th June in Marseille, France or email info@randoxtoxicology.com