bstract
Background
This
paper presents the outcomes of the 2-year European Union funded
Psychonaut Web Mapping Project which aimed at developing and
implementing an integrated web mapping system to promptly identify and
learn about novel psychoactive substances (NPS; “legal highs”) through
the regular monitoring of the Internet.
Methods
More
than 200 discussion forums, social media, online shops, websites and
other Internet resources (e.g. YouTube, eBay, Google, Google Insight)
have been extensively and regularly monitored in 7 European countries
(UK, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain) for emerging
trends of NPS throughout the period of the study.
Results
Key
online resources have been identified as “leading edge” which have
provided accurate and timely information on novel emerging compounds. In
total more than 400 substances/products have been recorded. NPS have
been noted online before reaching wider audiences.
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