Drug markets are changing at a pace that is making it harder for authorities to know exactly what people are taking, with the United Nations warning that new and potentially deadly substances are increasingly being mixed into familiar drugs and sold in everyday forms.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says manufacturers and traffickers are introducing new drug products, changing the contents of existing ones and using more complex ways to hide them during transportation.
The warning comes as more than 1,000 forensic experts from over 100 countries meet for a Forensic Science Symposium running from September 15 to 17.
The meeting is bringing together laboratories, law enforcement agencies, public health professionals and researchers to improve the detection and identification of emerging drugs and strengthen responses to the changing market.
According to the UNODC World Drug Report 2026, the number of drug types found in seizures is now five times higher than before 2000, showing how widely illicit drug markets have diversified.
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are also increasing. The global market recorded 755 substances in 2024, up from 582 in 2023, a 30 per cent rise in one year. Since 2005, member states have identified nearly 1,500 NPS.
UNODC said drugs are increasingly being sold as pills, edibles, syrups and vapes, with some products containing mixtures that users may not know they are consuming.
The agency estimates that 331 million people used drugs in the previous 12 months in 2024, 34 per cent more than in 2014. Cannabis remained the most widely used, with 256 million users, followed by non-medical opioid use at 63 million.
The growing danger is also linked to the deliberate mixing of established drugs with other substances. Heroin and cocaine, for example, can be combined with highly potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyls and nitazenes, raising the risk of serious harm and fatal overdoses.
UNODC said nitazenes and orphines, which can be more potent than fentanyls, have added to the concern.
"In a rapidly changing drug landscape, preparedness begins with science,” noted Justice Tettey, Director of UNODC’s Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch. “Identifying new threats, developing evidence-based solutions, and sharing knowledge across the forensic community are key to staying ahead."
The scale of synthetic stimulant trafficking has also grown, with seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants reaching a record 604 tonnes in 2024. Methamphetamine accounted for the largest share.
At the same time, traffickers are finding new ways to conceal drugs, including inside vehicle parts, shipping container walls, clothes, fruit and books.
Experts at the symposium are examining methods for finding hidden drugs at ports and testing complex substances that may be unknown to authorities.
UNODC said forensic teams are turning to artificial intelligence, portable near-infrared screening, automated data systems, digital tools, three-dimensional printing and improved sampling methods to speed up detection.
Ronald Jefferson Narceda, a Drug Forensic Chemist at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, said countries must share information and methods to keep pace with the changes.
"The networking opportunities at the recent FSS provided valuable access to resources, increasing our confidence in pursuing the harmonization of drug profiling among member states. The symposium emphasized that every nation must contribute to global efforts by sharing existing protocols and data. This collaboration will enhance our understanding of drug trends, supporting both the UNODC's drug elimination strategies and our own top management's decision-making," he said.
UNODC said the changing composition of drug products, including differences between batches, makes quick testing and international cooperation increasingly important in supporting public health and criminal justice responses.