Ukraine moves to strengthen response to new psychoactive substances
June 04, 2026
New psychoactive substances are spreading rapidly across illicit drug markets in Europe, creating risks for public health and new challenges for law enforcement. Detecting these substances early, assessing their risks, and responding quickly requires more than one institution. It requires a system.
On 28–29 May 2026 in Kyiv, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Public Health Centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine brought together key national stakeholders to support the development of Ukraine’s Early Warning System on new psychoactive substances.
“The Early Warning System is a strong example of synergy between health organisations and law enforcement. It helps detect new psychoactive substances, assess the risks, and establish a proper response,” said Tomas Krusna, Deputy Head of Operations at EUAM Ukraine. “This is not just an EU innovation. It is a legal framework that Ukraine has to implement to comply with EU law, and it requires joint work by the Ministry of Health and law enforcement authorities.”
The discussions focused on a practical question: how should health institutions, law enforcement agencies, forensic bodies and other stakeholders exchange information when a new substance appears?
Participants examined the types of data to be shared, channels for urgent and routine notifications, levels of access to information, and response mechanisms. The aim was to agree on principles that will form the basis for future regulatory acts governing the operation of the system.
The event drew on Slovenia’s experience, one of the practical national models within the EU. Slovenian experts presented how their system works in practice – from detecting a threat to coordinating the response through health, forensic and law enforcement institutions.
For EUAM Ukraine, this support reflects the Mission’s reinforced mandate, which places a stronger focus on countering organised crime. Illicit drug trafficking is one of the areas where organised crime directly affects public safety, public health and the resilience of institutions.
The agreed principles of cooperation and information exchange are expected to become the basis for the development of Ukraine’s national procedures for the Early Warning System.
