VIENNA, April 2025 – by Fiona McFarlane
Synthetic drugs have emerged as the most significant narcotics threat facing Europe today, surpassing traditional substances like cannabis, cocaine, and heroin in both prevalence and danger.
This latest breed of drugs, lab-made and designed to mimic the effects of conventional drugs, include a large array of drug types such as synthetic cannabinoids, designer drugs, novel psychoactive substances which may or may not be labelled as a ‘legal high’, and potent opioids with medical uses like fentanyl and nitazenes. The development of these substances follows two significant patterns: they have become increasingly easier and cheaper to produce than conventional drugs, and they often contain an extreme potency which can be 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin or morphine, as reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Perhaps most alarmingly, synthetic drug manufacturers increasingly modify the precursors used in their production to create entirely new classes of substances with chemical structures that are beyond the scope of existing legal provisions, and thus difficult to prosecute.
Unsurprisingly, finding solutions to combat the rise of synthetic drugs was at the forefront of the United Nations’ 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND68), the annual UN meeting dedicated to organising multilateral efforts against drugs and related crime. This year, approximately 2000 participants, and over 100 NGOs, brought their voices together at the UN headquarters in Vienna whilst delegates from 58 nations sat in the plenary, considering plans of action and potential resolutions. The extent of domestic struggles was discussed at length.
Some countries, like Kenya, stressed the significant security threat created by these new drugs, which threatened to reverse gains made in recent years. Others spoke of the alarming death rates. The United States quantified its own 86,882 overdose deaths to a graveyard almost twice the size of Vienna’s largest soccer stadium, and qualified synthetic drugs as the biggest drug threat of our decade.
Where does Austria stand?
In an interview with The International, Lt. Col. Felix Gasterstädt, Deputy Head of Drug-related Crime Department at Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service, outlined Austria’s own multi-layered strategy against synthetic drugs, which combines effective legal frameworks, specialized training, and cutting-edge technology.
Austria was among the first countries in Europe to respond to the increasing prevalence of synthetic substances, according to Gasterstädt, with the entry into force of the New Psychoactive Substances Act (NPSG) in 2012; a ‘generic approach’ law which covers even slightly modified variants of controlled substances, thus allowing them to act quickly even if the drug in question has not been identified before.
This forward-thinking legislation forms part of Austria’s broader “third way” drug policy established through its Narcotic Drugs Act (Suchtmittelgesetz), which balances enforcement with public health interventions and is committed to viewing drug use not merely as a criminal matter but as a chronic illness with medical, economic, and social dimensions.
According to Gasterstädt, Austria has taken great care to prepare for the threat ahead, starting with physical preparation. Annual training programmes are conducted to develop new skillsets, particularly in key areas like handling chemicals, safely dismantling clandestine laboratories, and destroying substances. Austria also regularly participates in international training opportunities with police authorities from the Netherlands, Poland, and Serbia, to ensure that national expertise remains aligned with international standards.
The country’s technological readiness has also been upgraded with near-infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy to allow on-site substance identification without opening potentially dangerous packages. As of 2024, Austrian police have also introduced naloxone nasal sprays as part of their operational safety equipment.
Finally, Austria works overtime to build and maintain strong cooperation channels with related industries and bodies. International organisations like the UN, Europol, Interpol, Eurojust, and the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats are obvious ones, but so are organisations in the chemical trade, which could only benefit from close relations with authorities to quickly pick up suspicious purchases or unusual order patterns—signs that chemical precursors may be diverted for illegal drug production.
Like every country on earth, Austria too is increasingly faced with challenges posed by synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances, but due to its small size and historically low drug use there is a strong chance that this combination of flexibility, specialization, and international cooperation will be sufficient to effectively address current and future developments as they reach Austrian soil.
