Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2024) 1626
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2024/0336/SK
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
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Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20241626.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2024 0336 SK EN 21-06-2024 SK NOTIF
2. Slovakia
3A. Úrad pre normalizáciu, metrológiu a skúšobníctvo SR
Centrálna jednotka pre smernicu (EÚ) 2015/1535
P.O.Box 76
Štefanovičova 3
810 05 Bratislava 15
e-mail: 2015.1535@normoff.gov.sk
3B. Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky
Limbová 2
P.O. BOX 52
837 52 Bratislava 37
4. 2024/0336/SK - C00C - CHEMICALS
5. Draft Act amending and supplementing Act No 139/1998 on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Preparations, as amended, and amending Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No 145/1995 on Administrative Fees
6. New psychoactive substances
7.
8. Supplementing Annex 1 to Act No 139/1998 Coll. on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Preparations, as amended, with four Group I narcotic drugs on the basis of a decision taken at the 66th session of the Commission of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with one Group I narcotic drug and three Group I psychotropic substances on the basis of a decision taken at UNODC 67. The UNODC decision was adopted on the basis of an evaluation by the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence of the World Health Organisation and the International Narcotics Control Board.
At the same time, on the basis of an initiative from the Ministry of the Interior and the Slovak Police Force, it is proposed to include one Group I narcotic drug and ten Group I psychotropic substances in Annex 1.
As none of the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances are used as an active substance in a medicinal product, pursuant to § 3(2) of Act No 139/1998 the Slovak Ministry of Health proposes the inclusion of all substances in Group I.
The inclusion of new psychoactive substances will increase the social protection of the population and contribute to the prevention of addiction to the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including the prevention of the treatment of the health consequences of those dependent on the use of these new psychoactive substances by making it more flexible to penalize the illegal activity of entities focused on the illegal manufacture, distribution and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
The specific substances are as follows:
Butonitazene, chemically 2-[(4-butoxyphenyl)methyl]-N,N-Diethyl-5-nitro-1H-benzimidazole-1-ethanamine
Etazene, chemically 2-[(4-ethoxyphenyl)methyl]-N,N-Diethyl-1H-benzimidazole-1-ethaneamine
Etonitazepyne, chemically 2-[(4-ethoxyphenyl)methyl]-5-nitro-1-(2-pyrrolidine-1-ylethyl)-1H-benzoimidazole
3-MeO-PCE, chemical N-ethyl-1-(3-methoxyphenyl) cyclohexane-1-amine
2-Methyl-AP-237, chemically 1-[2-methyl-4-(3-phenyl-2-propene-1-yl)-1-piperazinyl]-1-butanone
Protonitazene, chemically N,N-Diethyl-5-nitro-2-[(4-propoxyphenyl)methyl]-1-H-benzimidazole -1-ethaneamine
Bromazolam, chemically 8-bromo-1-methyl-6-phenyl-4H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3- [1,4]benzodiazepine
Dipentylone, chemically 1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-(dimethylamino)-1-pentanone
2-FDCK, 2-fluorodeschloroketamine, chemically 2-(2-fluorophenyl)-2-(methylamino)cyclohexanone
H4-CBD, tetrahydrocannabidiol, chemically 2-(2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl)-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol
HHC-H, hexahydrocannabihexol, chemically 3-hexyl-6,6,9-trimethyl-6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-1-ol
HHC-O, hexahydrocannabinol acetate, chemically 6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-1-yl acetate
HHC-P, hexahydrocannabiphorol, chemically 6,6,9-trimethyl-3-heptyl-6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-1-ol
HHCP acetate, hexahydrocannabiphorol acetate, chemically 6,6,9-trimethyl-3-heptyl-6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromen-1-ol acetate
5-MeO-MiPT, chemically 5-methoxy-N-methyl-N-(1-methylethyl)-1H-indol-3-ethaneamine
5-MMPA, mephedrine, chemical N,α,5-trimethyl-2-thiopheneneamine
THCB, tetrahydrocannabutol, chemically 3-butyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol or 3-butyl-6a,7,10,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol
THCH, tetrahydrocannabihexol, chemically 3-hexyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol or 3-hexyl-6a,7,10,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol
THCP, tetrahydrocannabiphorol, chemically 3-heptyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol or 3-heptyl-6a,7,10,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol
It is also proposed to modify the chemical formula of HHC to HHC, hexahydrocannabinol, chemically 6a,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol.
9. The draft legislation on the classification of new narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as controlled substances in the Slovak Republic covers comprehensively the whole of society, also aiming at raising barriers among young people looking for new psychoactive substances due to experimentation and shifting the age of first contact with the new psychoactive substance, which is also one of the objectives of the Action Plan on Drugs 2021-2025, both in the Slovak Republic and across the EU.
New psychoactive substances are a complex safety and health problem affecting millions of people in the EU and worldwide. These developments require effective action at the level of individual countries, something the Slovak Republic is also doing.
In addition to the inclusion of 19 new narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Annex 1 to Act No 139/1998, one of the objectives of the legislation is to amend the definition of HHC set out in Act No 139/1998, since it has a different structural formula than the substance available and offered on the Slovak market, meaning that the substance being sold is not currently included in the list of prohibited substances under Act No 139/1998 nor is it an isomer of the listed HHC substance.
In addition to HHC, products containing a group of related substances HHC-P, HHCP acetate, HHC-O and HHC-H in dry matter form, e-cigarette cartridges, candy and other sweets are currently on offer, e.g. in shopping centre vending machines.
Those substances show addictive potential as well as psychological and physical addiction characterised by behavioural changes, severe health and psychosocial consequences. In addition, these substances cause severe intoxication in children and adolescents.
This group of substances is monitored by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). HHC and HHC-O have been placed on the list of addictive substances in the Czech Republic since March 2024.
10. Reference(s) to basic text(s):
11. Yes
12. Since early 2024, an enormous increase in the interest of consumers of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in synthetic cannabinoid HHC and its derivatives (HHC-P, HHC-O and HHCP acetate) has been detected in Slovakia. Substances are abused because of their effects, mainly by negatively influencing psychological functions. Intoxications with HHC, HHC-O and HHC-P have caused euphoria later passing into depression, hallucination, attention and orientation disorders, delayed reaction time, biased perception of distance and time. Inflammatory respiratory system diseases, vomiting, unconsciousness and tachycardia are frequent physical expressions.
The main consumers of these substances are minors, in many cases children from 11-12 years of age who have experienced serious intoxications.
The detection of drug crime has also seen an increased interest in synthetic opioids, in particular ethazene, protonitazene, 2-methyl-AP-237 and 3-MeO-PCE. In the event of overdose by these synthetic opioids, the consumer is at risk of permanent injury or even death. The reason for the urgent procedure is to shorten the assessment due to threats to human rights and freedoms, in particular to the health of the general public, in particular children and young people, who are currently given free access to these substances, in particular by means of various vending machines located in publicly accessible places. The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic considers it necessary to prevent the free distribution of these substances and to eliminate this undesirable situation as soon as possible.
13. No
14. No
15. Yes
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
