NOVEL PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES: DETECTION, FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY, AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE INDIAN CONTEXT

AUTHOR – BALA SRINIVASAN M* & MS. HEMAVATHY**

* STUDENT AT THE TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW

** PROFESSOR AT THE TAMILNADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW

BEST CITATION – BALA SRINIVASAN M & MS. HEMAVATHY, NOVEL PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES: DETECTION, FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY, AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE INDIAN CONTEXT, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (3) OF 2026, PG. 629-641, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) represent one of the most rapidly evolving challenges in contemporary forensic toxicology, public health governance, and narcotics law enforcement. Designed to chemically mimic the pharmacological effects of controlled substances while evading existing legislative controls, NPS have proliferated globally with alarming speed. This paper examines the scientific landscape of NPS detection across biological matrices, exploring immunoassay screening limitations, chromatographic confirmatory methods including GC-MS and LC-MS/MS, and the transformative potential of high-resolution mass spectrometry and portable spectroscopic technologies. The paper further situates these analytical challenges within the Indian legal framework under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985, examining relevant case law and institutional responses. It concludes with an assessment of AI-driven innovations and their prospects for proactive NPS monitoring. The interface between analytical chemistry and law is shown to be critical: without robust, validated detection, the prosecution of NPS-related offences and the protection of public health remain fundamentally compromised.