Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)

New drugs, new problems: With the illegal drug market quickly developing, New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) have become an alarming issue in the EU, especially as knowledge about health risks associated with NPS is limited. Bearing in mind how these drugs may provide users with an easily accessible ‘legal high’, as new legislation on these NPS takes time to be approved, what steps can the EU take to ensure safety and control surrounding the use of these designer drugs?
Submitted by: Julia Beukema (NL), Egon van Casteren (NL), Julia Davies (NL), Juul van Ginkel (NL), Norah de Lange (NL), Louise Phalippou (NL), Hugo Philipsen (NL), Pietro Pinna (IT), Lena Stefanović (NL), Fynn Woerlee (NL), and Madelief van Poelvoorde (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament aims to minimise the negative effects and the presence of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) by researching health effects and raising awareness through educational programmes. It seeks to move from criminalisation towards decriminalisation of drug use, and subsequently, when proven successful, towards legalisation of a specific group of drugs.

The above is decided upon because

Legislation on the prohibition of newly created New Psychoactive Substances (NPS¹) often takes over a year to be adopted,
40% of criminality in the EU involves drug trade and trafficking,
NPS fall within a legal grey area², making drugs more readily accessible both in person as well as on online platforms,
Certain NPSs have been connected to an increase in hospital admissions and, in some cases, deaths,
The long-term health effects of NPS are hard to predict or still unknown,
NPS are more dangerous than some existing drugs, like ecstasy and cannabis, because their chemical structures are unclear,
Drug manufacturers reduce production costs by adding cutting agents³ or changing the chemical structure to make it legal, resulting in a drug sold under the same name but containing unknown effects for users,
NPS have dependence-producing properties, exemplified by how Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)⁴ has been linked to severe agitation, violent behaviour, paranoia, and anxiety posing a threat to the user’s and surrounding people’s safety,
NPS are directly linked to bacterial infections, drug-related infectious diseases and poisonings,
A total of 930 NPS were counted in the Early Warning System in 2022.

To that end, the European Youth Parliament

Directs the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) to research the long and short-term effects of commonly used NPS;
Invites non-profit drug-prevention organisations, such as the Federation for Drug Free Europe (FDFE) to spread awareness of the dangers of NPS on social media platforms;
Calls upon Member States to create a system where drug sales are limited to sellers with a revocable permit;
Asks the EMCDDA to research safer versions of NPS to replace current drugs, with financial support of the European Investment Fund;
Encourages Member States to implement a five-year trial period, where they will decriminalise substances that are deemed less risky, after which a positive evaluation can result in additional measures leading to legalisation;
Urges the Directorate-General on Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) to investigate more efficient and effective ways to legally ban newly emerged NPS;
Further requests the EMCDDA to raise awareness of the fact that drug users are not prosecuted for seeking help in overcoming their addiction;
Calls upon the Directorate-General European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO) to determine and clarify the differences between drugs and their respective dangers;
Asks the DG HOME to educate European citizens and residents on the effects of NPS and drugs by:
1. creating programs at high schools to inform teenagers of the dangers of NPS, peer pressure, and how to say ‘no’ to drugs,
2. setting up free yearly seminars about new NPS and their dangers in easily accessible locations,
3. providing information about NPS and overall drug safety at events associated with NPS and drug use;
Further calls upon Member States to establish more government-funded drug testing locations where users can test their drugs and be informed on the contents of their substance free of charge and without legal prosecution;
Invites Ministries of Public Health to practise harm reduction⁵ by offering free sterilised drug use equipment in pharmacies and places that are commonly associated with drug use;
Requests Member States to tolerate environments, such as festivals, where drugs can be taken safely and with precautions, such as cool rooms, enough healthy food and drinks, first aid, and other necessities.

Lastly, the European Youth Parliament recommends participants to

Research, using reliable websites such as the EMCDDA and the UNODC, the dangers of NPS usage to stay safe and understand the negative effects that NPS can have on someone’s well-being;
Familiarise themselves with drug testing locations across Member States using online resources;
Contact a teen- or drug helpline, such as Teenline, to ask questions, voice concerns or find help related to drugs or NPS;
Not be afraid to say ‘no’ to peer pressure.

New Psychoactive Substances are chemically altered versions of illegal drugs that strive to mimic the same or similar effect. ↩︎
Legal grey area entails a legal situation where legislation is not entirely clear or recent enough to keep up with new phenomena. ↩︎
Cutting agents are substances different from the advertised drug that are added to drugs to lower the cost of production or to compensate for a drug shortage. ↩︎
Methylenedioxypyrovalerone is a NPS designed to mimic the effects of cocaine and MDMA. ↩︎
Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim to minimise the negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. ↩︎