Gives an update of the multi-layered facets of the "designer drugs" phenomenon that exploded into public's consciousness in the 2010s

Offers diverse perspectives in areas of neuropharmacology, analytical toxicology, epidemiology of adverse events and information-exchange

Provides accurate information about psychoactive recreational substances that transcended 'traditional' drugs of abuse

Preface.- Part I General Aspects.- 1. Self-Experiments with Psychoactive Substances: A Historical Perspective.- 2. Responding to New Psychoactive Substances in the European Union: Early Warning, Risk Assessment, and Control Measures.- 3. Emergence, Diversity, and Control of New Psychoactive Substances: A Global Perspective.- 4. Epidemiology of NPS Based Confirmed Overdose Cases: The STRIDA Project.- Part II Drug Classes.- 5. Neuropharmacology of Synthetic Cathinones.- 6. Pharmacology of MDMA- and Amphetamine-Like New Psychoactive Substances.- 7. The Chemistry and Pharmacology of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists as New Psychoactive Substances: Origins.- 8. Molecular pharmacology of synthetic cannabinoids: Evolution.- 9. Synthetic Opioids.- 10. Designer Benzodiazepines: Another Class of New Psychoactive Substances.- 11. Serotonergic Psychedelics: Experimental Approaches for Assessing Mechanisms of Action.- 12. 1,2-Diarylethylamine- and Ketamine-Based New PsychoactiveSubstances.- 13. Phencyclidine-Based New Psychoactive Substances.- Part III Clinical, Forensic, and Analytical Toxicology.- 14. Bioanalytical Methods for New Psychoactive Substances.- 15. Wastewater Analysis for Community-Wide Drugs Use Assessment.- 16. Toxicokinetics of NPS: Update 2017.- 17. Patterns of Acute Toxicity Associated with New Psychoactive Substances.- 18. Fatal Poisonings Associated with New Psychoactive Substances.