National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) Weekly Briefing

NDEWS ORIGINAL CONTENT

NDEWS Sentinel Site Trend Report, November 2021

Each month, NDEWS Sentinel Site Directors report on the current landscape of drug use in their communities. Trends include data on drug seizures, laboratory testing, novel psychoactive substances, and fatal/non-fatal overdoses. Site Director reports from November 2021 are summarized in this week's Briefing. View the full report here or click the image above.

Alert from the NDEWS Web Monitoring Team: Online mentions of Deschloroetizolam

What was found? A discussion trend for the drug Deschloroetizolam has emerged on Reddit in Fall 2021, following sporadic mentions in recent years.

To what does Deschloroetizolam refer? Deschloroetizolam is a designer benzodiazepine-derivative drug in the thienotriazolodiazepine class.

How is it being discussed? Deschloroetizolam is also referred to as "Etizolam-2". Deschloroetizolam is co-mentioned with other thienotriazolodiazepines and benzodiazepine-derivative drugs on Reddit. Commenters describe the drug's effects as long-lasting compared to Etizolam.

Drug Terms: Deschloroetizolam, "Etizolam-2".

Methodological Note: Data was collected and analyzed by the NDEWS Web Monitoring Team, led by Dr. Elan Barenholtz and PhD candidate Paul Morris of the Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics (MPCR) Lab at Florida Atlantic University. Metrics are based on word counts derived from algorithmic monitoring of ~80 drug-oriented Subreddits. No personally identifiable or post-specific information is incorporated in this monitoring process. For more methodological details, see our recent publication. 

New Substances Survey

Is deschloroetizolam (etizolam-2) being used in your area?

Tell NDEWS what you have heard about deschloroetizolam use in your area. Click here.

IN THE NEWS

Schedules of controlled substances: Placement of various tryptamines

The Drug Enforcement Agency has proposed placing five psychedelic tryptamines in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The agency is seeking comments on this proposal by February 14. These five substances are: 

4-Hydroxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (4-OH-DiPT), 

5-Methoxy-alphamethyltryptamine (5-MeO-AMT), 

N-Isopropyl-5-Methoxy-N-Methyltryptamine (5-MeO-MiPT), 

N,N-Diethyl-5-methoxytryptamine (5-MeO-DET), and 

N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT) 

View the full news release here. 

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The University of Florida Substance Abuse Training Center in Public Health T32 is seeking applicants for two postdoctoral fellowship openings! 

- Fellowships are sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and postdocs receive an annual stipend and health benefits for 2 years. 

- An annual allowance is offered to facilitate attendance at conferences.

- Fellows would work on NDEWS, the ABCD study or other NIDA funded studies with internationally known mentors.

- UF resources include: CTSA; McKnight Brain Institute; Center on Addiction Research and Education; Arts in Medicine; Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence; UF Health Cancer Center; Emerging Pathogens Institute; Institute on Aging

- The T32 program is directed by Dr. Linda Cottler, and co-directed by Dr. Sara Jo Nixon.

Questions should be directed to Ms. Tamara Millay at tmillay@ufl.edu. Applications are considered on a rolling basis; the program values the diversity of its applicants.

Share your research, news, and events through our submission form

Share your comments on our newsletter through our feedback form

Follow NDEWS on Twitter: @NDEWSnews