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Assessing the toxicological significance of new psychoactive substances in fatalities
Simon Elliott1, Roumen Sedefov2, Michael Evans-Brown2
1Alere Forensics, Malvern Hills Science Park, Worcestershire, UK.
Abstract:
The number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has increased significantly, especially within the last 5 years. The EMCDDA conducts risks assessments of such substances, especially in relation to serious adverse events. Examination of the individual health risks of a substance is a fundamental requirement of the process. Based on a number of considerations, the Toxicological Significance Score has been developed to support the risk assessment of NPS by allowing the role of a substance in deaths to be better assessed and classified.
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