WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence

Book excerpt: The Forty-sixth Meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) was convened from 16 to 19 October 2023 and was coordinated from the WHO headquarters in Geneva. The Forty-sixth WHO ECDD critically reviewed six new psychoactive substances: including two benzodiazepines (bromazolam, flubromazepam), one novel synthetic opioid (butonitazene), two cathinones/stimulants (3-CMC, dipentylone) and one dissociative-type substance (2-fluorodeschloroketamine). A critical review to consider international scheduling measures was undertaken for each substance so that the Expert Committee could consider whether information about these substances may justify the scheduling or a change in scheduling of a substance in the 1961 or 1971 Conventions. In addition, the Forty-sixth ECDD carried out a pre-review of nitrous oxide and carisoprodol to consider whether current information justified a critical review. This report summarizes the findings of the forty-sixth ECDD meeting.