About

The UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs supports the international community to implement comprehensive responses to counter the synthetic drugs problem. 

The Toolkit was created in response to Resolutions 61/8 (2018) and 62/4 (2019) of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs which called on UNODC, WHO, INCB and the international community to develop new and innovative approaches to address the international threats posed by the non-medical use of synthetic drugs.

The Toolkit is a one-stop shop coordinated by the UNODC Synthetic Drug Strategy which brings together a wide range of guidance and resources from a variety of specialised agencies across the UN system.*

The Toolkit is tailored to experts, practitioners, and policymakers in the fields of health, law enforcement, forensics and research and contains over 350 practical resources and tools.

The content of Toolkit is organised into modules on different topics such as forensics, postal security, access to medicines, legal approaches, treatment and prevention and precursor control. New modules, tools and resources are being added to the Toolkit on a continuous basis to keep it current, beneficial and relevant.

 The UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs was developed by UNODC in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the International Narcotics Control Board, the Universal Postal Union and the World Customs Organisation.

 

*The tools and resources included in the UN Toolkit on Synthetic Drugs have been provided by and are proprietary to our contributing partners, who are responsible for content and language availability. Where tools and resources are not available in other languages, they have been included in English.

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Modules at a glance

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Legal

Learn about different legislative approaches to synthetic drugs control

Understand the key considerations of the approaches and how they may apply in various national contexts.

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Forensics

Strengthening forensic capacity of drug testing and toxicology laboratories

Access practical tools from quality assurance programmes to training, technical manuals, testing kits and reference materials.

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Access and Diversion Prevention

Ensuring access to controlled medicines for clinical and scientific use and preventing diversion

Develop balanced policies for availability and affordability while addressing non-medical use.

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Postal Security

Securing the global postal supply chain to prevent illicit drug trafficking

Apply mandatory security standards and enhance capacity to ensure the safety of postal services and personnel.

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Precursors

Learn about chemicals used in illicit drug manufacture

Understand the international precursors control system, monitoring legitimate trade and preventing diversion.

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COVID-19

Impact of the pandemic on the synthetic drug problem and integrated responses

Apply measures to protect front-line officers, public health and vulnerable groups

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Early Warning Systems

Setting up early warning systems to help identify new synthetic drug trends

Generate data to assess risk, guide evidence-based policies and enable timely responses.

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Treatment and Care

Applying best practices in drug demand reduction

Standards for drug use disorder treatment programmes and management of opioid overdose

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Cybercrime

Countering online trafficking in synthetic drugs

Tools and strategies to detect and investigate cryptocurrencies and money laundering

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Prevention

Applying best practices in drug use prevention  

Tools and resources to foster evidence-based prevention strategies

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Advanced Investigative Techniques

Strategies to trace trafficking in illicit synthetic drugs through controlled deliveries

Resources for securing cross-border cooperation to investigate criminal flows and gather evidence

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Air Trafficking

Safeguarding the skies from synthetic drugs

Resources supporting the prevention and detection of synthetic drugs in various aviation environments, as well as the aftermath post-detection/seizure.

 

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Public-Private Partnerships

Applying best practices in drug use prevention  

Tools and resources to foster evidence-based prevention strategies