Chapter 8: Hair Analysis to Understand the Diffusion of New Psychoactive Substances

Hair testing offers a unique perspective in the investigation of drug consumption, provided that a large panel of target analytes is considered. In this chapter, the available information and interpretation of results obtainable from hair analysis, in terms of trends and pattern of new psychoactive substance (NPS) and novel synthetic opioid (NSO) prevalence, are explored. In particular, (i) the diffusion of NPS/NSO, and (ii) the co-use of traditional and new drugs, are discussed. When large populations are subjected to NPS/NSO hair analysis, then the relevant gathered results can provide epidemiological data on trends and extent of use in the community. Therefore, epidemiology studies based on hair analysis can increase the knowledge about NPS/NSO use among high-risk populations and produce useful information to inform the policy-makers and the national health systems.