New designer drugs placing strain on State lab facilities

MORE than 40 potentially lethal new-generation designer drugs have been identified by Forensic Science Ireland in the past two years.

Fifteen new drugs were identified in its laboratory last year, in addition to a further 27 new drugs detected in 2016, a number of which have led to fatalities worldwide.

Among the new designer drugs detected is 5F-MDMB-PINACA which was first identified in Japan four years ago, where it led to 10 deaths from those who had consumed it.

Another drug found in Ireland, 4-Clephedrone, led to the death of a 24-year-old UK man in 2016.

Chris Enright, director general of the FSI, said that the ‘increase in the abuse of new psychoactive substances’ is putting additional strain on the lab, which is dealing with a backlog of drugs cases, as the ‘analysis of new materials poses analytical challenges’.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice told the Irish Mail on Sunday that so far this year 3,070 cases had been submitted for analysis, of which 2,289 cases had been reported.

‘The demand for case work throughout 2017 significantly exceeded the capacity available,’ said Mr Enright.