WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence: thirty-sixth report

Overview

This report presents the recommendations of the thirty-sixth WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD). The ECDD is responsible for the assessment of therapeutic usefulness, the liability to abuse and dependence and the public health and social harm of each substance under review. After receiving the advice from the Expert Committee to schedule or to amend the scheduling status of a substance, the Director-General of WHO will as appropriate, communicate the recommendations to the United Nations. The report summarizes the review of 26 substances and the Committee’s recommendations for scheduling under the international drug control conventions. The report also contains updates from international bodies concerned with controlled substances, a summary of the follow-up on recommendations made at the previous Committee meeting and a summary of the discussion on improving data collection and evidence for prioritization and substance evaluation, in particular for new psychoactive substances. Issues identified for consideration at future Expert Committee meetings are also listed.