Download or read book The Challenge Posed by New Synthetic Opioids: Pharmacology and Toxicology written by Simona Pichini and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2019-08-19 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New Synthetic Opioids (NSOs), most of which are illegally produced and sold for recreational use, are posing a serious threat to the health of consumers. Due to the low cost of materials and equipment required for clandestine laboratories production with respect to the production cost of heroin, NSOs are climbing the illegal street and web drug market. Several of these drugs have been involved in a recent rise in acute intoxications and overdose deaths. Since NSOs offer enormous profit potential, and there is strong demand for their use, these drugs are being trafficked by organized crime and present major challenges for medical professionals facing intoxications and fatalities, law enforcement agencies fighting against their diffusion and policymakers trying to restrain the use and abuse of NSOs. This Research Topic aimed to fill the gap on current knowledge on pharmacology and toxicology, health risks for adult and newborns of NSOs covering both basic scientific as well as epidemiological and clinical aspects. 3 reviews, 3 mini-reviews, 1 original article, 2 case reports and 1 opinion are here presented.