Retrospective analysis of new psychoactive substances in blood samples of German drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs

Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) is a serious global problem and poses a public health risk. With new psychoactive substances (NPS) entering the illicit drug market several years ago, a significant number of highly potent and harmful drugs have become easily available and the use of these substances may impair a person’s ability to drive a vehicle safely. Since NPS are not usually covered in routine toxicological analyses used in DUID investigations, only little is known about their prevalence. To gather more information on the prevalence of NPS in cases of impaired driving, a retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence of these drugs in blood samples of DUID suspects in southern Germany. A total of 837 blood samples, which were collected in the German federal states Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in 2017 and 2018, were reanalyzed for designer stimulants and synthetic cannabinoids by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). For the analysis of synthetic cannabinoids, a more sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) screening method was additionally used. A total of 14 cases (1.6%) tested positive for NPS. Designer stimulants were detected in two cases (0.2%) and synthetic cannabinoids were found in 12 cases (1.4%). The rather low prevalence rate of 1.6% estimated in this study suggests that driving under the influence of NPS does not play a large role in southern Germany. Nonetheless, in all cases in which the psychophysical impairment cannot be explained by routine toxicological findings, a screening for NPS should additionally be performed.