Episode 80: Novel Benzodiazepines – Emerging Trends and Analytical Challenges

This week on The Tox Lab, we’re discussing novel benzodiazepines and examining recent trends in their emergence and detection. We begin by exploring the origins of novel benzodiazepines, including how these compounds have entered the drug market and the factors contributing to their continued appearance. We then turn to a paper from the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) Novel Psychoactive Substances Committee, examining trends in novel benzodiazepine detections between 2021 and 2025. We discuss findings from post-mortem investigations, clinical presentations, driving under the influence of drugs cases, and drug-facilitated crime, highlighting the compounds most commonly encountered, in...