ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NONMEDICAL USE OF TROPICAMIDE BY DRUG ADDICTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article presents data on the issue of non-medical use of tropicamide in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors analysed the clinical characteristics of the polydrug abuse as a result of combined use of opioids and tropicamide by sampling drug addicts seeking narcological aid. Results indicate malignant state of substance addiction associated with the underlying opioid addiction. Currently the Republic of Kazakhstan faces a steady growth in chemical addictions as a result of increased circulation of traditional drugs and the emergence of new psychoactive substances. Since November 2013 the government has been actively focusing on the over-thecounter drug problem, taking a number of measures to restrict the distribution of psychotropic medications. Such medications includ

ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NONMEDICAL USE OF TROPICAMIDE BY DRUG ADDICTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article presents data on the issue of non-medical use of tropicamide in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors analysed the clinical characteristics of the polydrug abuse as a result of combined use of opioids and tropicamide by sampling drug addicts seeking narcological aid. Results indicate malignant state of substance addiction associated with the underlying opioid addiction. Currently the Republic of Kazakhstan faces a steady growth in chemical addictions as a result of increased circulation of traditional drugs and the emergence of new psychoactive substances. Since November 2013 the government has been actively focusing on the over-thecounter drug problem, taking a number of measures to restrict the distribution of psychotropic medications. Such medications includ

Synthetic Cannabinoids : psychopharmacology, clinical aspects, and psy-chotic onset

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Giovanni Martinotti, Rita Santacroce, Duccio Papanti, Yasmine Elgharably, Mariya Prilutskaya, Ornella Corazza, ‘Synthetic Cannabinoids: Psychopharmacology, Clinical Aspects, and Psychotic Onset’, CNS & Neurological Disorders – Drug Targets, Vol. 16, 2017. Under embargo. Embargo end date: 13 April 2018. The published manuscript is available at EurekaSelect via: https://doi.org/10.2174/1871527316666170413101839. Published by Bentham Science.Synthetic Cannabinoids (SC) are the widest and most diffused class of Novel Psychoactive Substances. SC are chemically heterogeneous and structurally dissimilar from delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, being full agonists of the endocannabinoid system receptors CB1 and CB2. Desired effects include euphoria, talkativeness, feelings of joy and laughter, relaxation. With respect to cannabis, SC intake may also be associated with quicker arise of the effects, shorter duration of action, and larger levels of hangover. SC are more psychoactive than cannabis: symptoms may include a wide range of clinically relevant posi-tive, negative and cognitive psychopathological symptoms that mimic symptoms of schizophrenia. The risk of two widespread symptoms of SC intoxication, namely agitation and cardiotoxicity, exceeds this of traditional cannabis of 3.8 and 9.2 times respectively. A number of deaths have been related to SC ingestion, either on their own or in combination with other recreational drugs. Prompt and reliable in-formation available for health professionals, more specific analytic techniques, and designed preventive strategies are all required to face this unprecedented challenge.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Illicit COVID-19 products online: A mixed-method approach for identifying and preventing online health risks

© 2023 Catalani et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a demand for vaccines, cures, and the need of related documentation for travel, work and other purposes. Our project aimed to identify the illicit availability of such products across the Dark Web Markets (DWMs). Methods: A retrospective search for COVID-19 related products was carried out across 118 DWMs since the start of the pandemic (March 2020-October 2021). Data on vendors as well as advertised goods such as asking price, marketplace, listed date were collected and further validated through additional searches on the open web to verify the information relating to specific marketplaces. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. Results: Forty-two listings of unlicenced COVID-19 cures and vaccination certificates were identified across 8 marketplaces sold by 25 vendors with significant variation in prices. The listings were found to be geographically specific and followed the progression of the pandemic in terms of availability. Correlations between vendor portfolios of COVID-19 products and variety of goods of other illicit nature such as illegal weaponry, medication/drugs of abuse also emerged from our analysis. Conclusion: This study is one of the first attempts to identify the availability of unlicenced COVID-19 products on DWMs. The easy accessibility to vaccines, fake test certificates and hypothetical/illegal cures poses serious health risks to (potential) buyers due to the uncontrolled nature of such products. It also exposes buyers to an unwanted contact with vendors selling a variety of other dangerous illicit goods. Further monitoring and regulatory responses should be implemented to protect the health and safety of citizens especially at times of global crisis.Peer reviewe

The market of sport supplement in the digital era: A netnographic analysis of perceived risks, side-effects and other safety issues

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for the Study of Emerging Drugs. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )Background: The market of sport supplements is expanding worldwide. Such phenomenon is often supported by captivating marketing strategies and social media advertising providing unscientifically founded claims, thus raising safety concerns. The aim of our study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the online market, patterns of use, perceived risks and other safety issues on supplement use as reported in online fitness communities. Methods: A mixed method approach was employed. An automatized web-based monitoring tool (Brand24®) was used to track the most popular supplements and related discussions according to the number of interactions between users and shares; the number and category of websites; the social media reach; and the most popular hashtags. Results were assessed through a netnographic qualitative analysis of online fitness fora, to identify motivations of intake, self-reported side effects andthe overall safety perception reliability of supplements information online. Results: A social media reach of over four million individuals, inclusive of 18595 posts, emerged from our search. The most cited supplements were “Whey Protein”, “Branched Chain Amino-Acid”, “Creatine”, “Multivitamin supplements” and “Nitric Oxide boosters”. Supplements were mainly taken for muscle gain (23%), increase energy (17%), and weight loss (8%). Although the web narrative on supplementation was overall positive, a wide range of side effects were reported by 19% of fitness fora users. These included acne (9%), water retention (9%), stomach pain (9%), rashes (7%), erectile dysfunctions (7%) and weight gain (5%). Concerns about contamination (47%), counterfeit content (17%) and the presence of hidden ingredients (11%) were also recorded. Conclusions: In a poorly regulated context, where unsolicited social media posts have replaced the typical advice provided by professionals, efforts should be made to ensure the reliability of the provided information to avoid the insurgence of unwanted adverse effects and safeguard public health.Peer reviewe

Image enhancing drugs: A narrative review on the motivational risk factors influencing skin lightening use

Abstract Introduction In societies that place a great emphasis on physical appearance and body aestheticism, the use of image enhancing drugs (IEDs) has become increasingly widespread. Of particular concern is the use of skin lightening drugs, which might contain undisclosed and harmful ingredients of potential adulterated nature. These products are frequently advertised on social media platforms and elsewhere and used without medical consultation. Methods An explorative literature search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, CINHAL, and ProQuest to better understand the motivational risk factors associated with skin lightening and assess their relation to body image, self-esteem, and other psychological disorders. All studies published until December 2020 were included in the review. Results A number of non-psychological factors can be associated with this practice. These include: (a) sociocultural i.e., achieve different social and cultural benefits, and (b) skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation lesions. Conversely, psychological factors can be correlated to (a) low self-esteem, (b) body image disturbances, and (c) other psychological factors like history of trauma and depressive symptoms. Conclusion Skin lightening remains a poorly studied and understood multifactorial phenomenon. More extensive research is needed to improve current clinical practice and raise public awareness on this dangerous practice

Profiling the vendors of COVID‐19 related product on the Darknet: An observational study

/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for the Study of Emerging Drugs. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)BACKGROUND: In a time of unprecedented global change, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in demand of COVID-19 vaccines and related certifications. Mainly due to supply shortages, counterfeit vaccines, fake documentation, and alleged cures to illegal portfolios, have been offered on darkweb marketplaces (DWMs) with important public health consequences. We aimed to profile key DWMs and vendors by presenting some in-depth case studies.METHODS: A non-systematic search for COVID-19 products was performed across 118 DWMs. Levels of activity, credibility, content, COVID-19 product listings, privacy protocols were among the features retrieved. Open web fora and other open web sources were also considered for further analysis of both functional and non functional DWMs. Collected data refers to the period between January 2020 and October 2021.RESULTS: A total of 42 relevant listings sold by 24 vendors across eight DWMs were identified. Four of these markets were active and well-established at the time of the study with good levels of credibility. COVID-19 products were listed alongside other marketplace content. Vendors had a trusted profile, communicated in English language and accepted payments in cryptocurrencies (Monero or Bitcoin). Their geographical location included the USA, Asia and Europe. While COVID-19 related goods were mostly available for regional supply, other listings were also shipped worldwide.INTERPRETATION: Findings emerging from this study rise important questions about the health safety of certain DWMs activities and encourage the development of targeted interventions to overcome such new and rapidly expanding public health threats.FUNDING: CovSaf, National Research centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online (REPHRAIN), Commonwealth Fund.Peer reviewe

Profiling the vendors of COVID-19 related product on the Darknet: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: In a time of unprecedented global change, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in demand of COVID-19 vaccines and related certifications. Mainly due to supply shortages, counterfeit vaccines, fake documentation, and alleged cures to illegal portfolios, have been offered on darkweb marketplaces (DWMs) with important public health consequences. We aimed to profile key DWMs and vendors by presenting some in-depth case studies. METHODS: A non-systematic search for COVID-19 products was performed across 118 DWMs. Levels of activity, credibility, content, COVID-19 product listings, privacy protocols were among the features retrieved. Open web fora and other open web sources were also considered for further analysis of both functional and non functional DWMs. Collected data refers to the period between January 2020 and October 2021. RESULTS: A total of 42 relevant listings sold by 24 vendors across eight DWMs were identified. Four of these markets were active and well-established at the time of the study with good levels of credibility. COVID-19 products were listed alongside other marketplace content. Vendors had a trusted profile, communicated in English language and accepted payments in cryptocurrencies (Monero or Bitcoin). Their geographical location included the USA, Asia and Europe. While COVID-19 related goods were mostly available for regional supply, other listings were also shipped worldwide. INTERPRETATION: Findings emerging from this study rise important questions about the health safety of certain DWMs activities and encourage the development of targeted interventions to overcome such new and rapidly expanding public health threats. FUNDING: CovSaf, National Research centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online (REPHRAIN), Commonwealth Fund