Abstract：
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are everchanging and plague forensic laboratories who must identify an unending variety of emerging substances and evolve current methodologies to detect these substances. Identifying potential regional NPS targets and timely examining trends in seized drug data could help mitigate the burden laboratories face. Over 17 months, NPS seized drug data were processed and categorized from three laboratories located across the United States to determine any NPS regional similarities and prevalent NPS drug categories: the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center (SCRFSC), and the Orange County Crime Laboratory (OCCL). Seized drug materials, including pills, powders, and plant material, were primarily analyzed for NPS via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. From June 2022 to October 2023, 1940 NPS seized drug identifications were reported by these laboratories with 63 different NPS reported. Novel synthetic opioids (NSO) were the most prevalent NPS class across all three laboratories (55%), with fluorofentanyl accounting for 74% of NSO identifications. This is unsurprising given the fentanyl epidemic in the United States. Furthermore, these data highlighted varying regional NPS seized drug trends: eutylone, a synthetic cathinone, was one of the most frequently identified NPS in SLED, SCRFSC observed the most diverse set of synthetic cannabinoids, and OCCL observed an increased prevalence in the designer benzodiazepine, bromazolam. NPS scope recommendations are a valuable resource for forensic laboratories; however, most focus on a national perspective. Timely analysis and reporting of NPS seized drug data may help to develop regional NPS scope recommendations laboratories may employ.
摘要：
新型精神活性物质（NPS）正在不断变化，困扰着法医实验室，他们必须识别出无休止的各种新兴物质，并发展当前的方法来检测这些物质。确定潜在的区域NPS目标并及时检查缉获药物数据的趋势可以帮助减轻实验室面临的负担。超过17个月,NPS缉获的药物数据从位于美国的三个实验室进行处理和分类，以确定任何NPS区域相似性和流行的NPS药物类别：南卡罗来纳州执法部门（SLED），塞奇威克县地区法医学中心（SCRFSC），和奥兰治县犯罪实验室（OCCL）。扣押的药物材料，包括药片,粉末,和植物材料，主要通过气相色谱-质谱法和傅里叶变换红外光谱法分析了NPS。从2022年6月到2023年10月，这些实验室报告了1940年NPS缉获的药物鉴定，报告了63种不同的NPS。新型合成阿片类药物（NSO）是所有三个实验室中最普遍的NPS类别（55％）。氟芬太尼占NSO鉴定的74%。鉴于芬太尼在美国的流行，这并不令人惊讶。此外，这些数据突显了不同地区的NPS缉获药物趋势：尤特隆，合成卡西酮,是SLED中最常见的核动力源之一，SCRFSC观察到最多样化的合成大麻素，OCCL观察到设计人员苯二氮卓类药物的患病率增加，布罗马佐兰.NPS范围建议是法医实验室的宝贵资源；但是，最注重国家视角。及时分析和报告NPS缉获的药物数据可能有助于制定实验室可能采用的区域NPS范围建议。
