Detecting novel and emerging recreational drugs on the 'club scene'

Recreational drugs are commonly used amongst those frequenting nightclubs. In addition to established recreational drugs such as amphetamine, MDMA (Ecstasy), ketamine and cocaine, there are novel/emerging recreational drugs entering the ‘club scene’. These drugs often have similar clinical features in toxicity, although they may not be controlled under the same legislation as established recreational drugs. In this article we will review how these novel/emerging recreational drugs can be detected/identified, and compare the clinical features of toxicity seen with them to established recreational drugs.