Amphetamines likely to be major problem of next century.

After witnessing a worldwide three-fold increase in the number of countries reporting rising abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants over the past 10 years and a ten-fold increase in seizures between 1978 and 1994, a United Nations meeting in Shanghai, China, has mapped out a global strategy aimed at reversing what many are calling a trend "more dangerous than heroin and cocaine".

The International Expert Meeting on Stimulants, which was organized by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), in cooperation with the Chinese Government, recommended that Governments combat the spread of such substances as "ecstasy" and "speed" by taking multifaceted action at the national and international levels.

The trouble is many countries have no experience in dealing with the substances in question, and many of the steps needed to reduce consumption of synthetics will be different from prevailing measures aimed at stemming heroin and cocaine abuse, participants said in a report. Amphetamine-type stimulants, it was pointed out, have become the most common drugs of abuse in several countries.

Among the steps called for by the meeting are:

* Addressing the uncertainty about the risks associated with abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants by conducting mass outreach campaigns that would provide media, parents, teachers and community leaders with responsible information on stimulants, bearing in mind the specific situations in individual countries vis a vis the substances in question;

* Instituting legal measures commensurate with the "acute threat to public health, as well as the individual health risk" associated with amphetamine-type substances; eliminating legislative loopholes pertaining to various aspects of the stimulants problem, particularly between neighbouring countries;

* Monitoring nationally, regionally and internationally the safety and efficacy of long-term administration of medically prescribed amphetamine-type stimulants for such conditions as attention deficit disorder and obesity; the World Health Organization (WHO) was asked to formulate guidelines for the rational use of amphetamine-type stimulants for medical purposes; countries were asked to have their national pharmaceutical regulatory authorities adhere to the prescription requirements requested under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances;

* Negotiating with Internet providers and software industries to set up mutually agreeable ways of removing offensive information on the production, distribution, promotion and use of so-called "designer drugs" and other stimulants from telecommunications networks; the United Nations could be asked to look into developing a code of conduct for industry-wide selfregulation in such areas as drug information;

* Taking advantage of the Internet by linking with the UNDCP and WHO in monitoring development in connection with amphetamine-type substances, analyzing trends and identifying potential future problem areas related to stimulants and their precursors, to assist developing countries in computer technology and training;

* Taking action to carry out the provisions of the international drug control treaties that prohibit advertisement of controlled substances to the general public and ban incitement of illicit drug-related activities;

* Tightening up controls at all levels, including the strengthening of ties with the relevant branches of industry, to prevent diversion of chemicals and laboratory equipment to the illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type stimulants; for example, Governments would be asked to use the relevant treaty provisions to monitor sales of tabletting machines; and

* Rethinking current scheduling systems to take into account that the chemical formulas for synthetic stimulants can be readily manipulated to create "new" substances; controls should be based on similarity in chemical structure or anticipated pharmacological effects.