John-Peter Kools is an international expert on drug policy and public health. He works as a senior policy advisor at the Dutch Trimbos Institute where he leads the international programmes. From 2010 to 2017 Kools was chairperson of Harm Reduction International.

Global drug markets are rapidly moving towards a more synthetic-based supply. In particular increased availability of novel synthetic opioids and other depressants in the opioid market pose serious public health concerns in many countries. Given the devasting overdose crises in North Amerca, many countries try to monitor and anticipate on similar sorts of developments. Recent research in Europe mentioned increased prevalence, usage and incidents of highly potent substances increased in many parts of Europe. Initially in the Baltic and Nordic region in Europe, but over the last 2 years reports indicate the emerge of nitazene type SO, led to a range of incidents in other countries like Ireland, Scotland and England in 2023. Report from for instance Norway 231 fatal overdoses due to nitazenes in the first part of 2024.
The latest European Drug Report clearly underlines “the need for Europe to improve its preparedness for any possible market shifts …. To strengthen preparedness to the sudden appearance of highly potent substances on the market."
The necessity of increased alertness and preparations seems inevitable, but this raises the question: how exactly can countries’ health and harm reduction services be prepared for upcoming rises in synthetic opioids’ prevalence and incidents?

The presentation will provide findings from a inventory on recommended preparedness actions. The inventory (commissioned by the Dutch government, recently started in September 2024 and finalising in December 2024) will collect specific gaps in the public health and harm reduction services in The Netherland and will provide a range of detailed recommendations and good practices in other European countries.
This presentation will build on the European situation but will be significant for countries in other parts of the world that are looking for detailed good practices in harm reduction and wider public health care to prepare themselves for upcoming synthetic opioids.