A number of countries have chosen to extend the scope of the list of individually named substances in their drug control legislation to cover NPS by invoking the concept of “chemical” and/or "pharmacological” similarity to a controlled drug, that is, an NPS which is structurally similar to and/or has a similar or greater effect on the central nervous system as a controlled substance, is deemed a controlled substance analogue and is therefore subject to the same controls.
Analogue legislation operates on a substance-by-substance basis and, unlike generic controls, addresses general aspects of similarity in chemical structure to a “parent” compound. The definition of what is considered an analogue, the interpretation and applicability of the concept and the penalties associated with the infringement of analogue legislation vary from country to country. In addition to the requirement of chemical similarity, criteria such as pharmacological similarity and/or evidence that the substance is sold for human consumption are used in some countries to delineate more clearly the definition of analogue substances.
Use the drop down menu and select Analogue Control as a type of legislative approach. The map will display all countries which have implemented this type of approach. Click on the map to see a list of the countries in a table to the right.
** This map was created by commercial software. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
The searchable database of the UNODC Early Warning Advisory lists and describes national legislative approaches to NPS by country/territory and type of approach. Where available, web links lead to the respective national legislation.