What is the "SEAT" for in Spain?

In Spain, since 2012, the Spanish Early Warning System (SEAT) has been operating for the detection of New Psychoactive Substances (NSPs). For example, only in 2015, SEAT notified the European Union Early Warning System (EWS-EU) information regarding 35 new psychoactive substances detected for the first time in Spain.

The general objective of SEAT is to have a rapid early warning system for the detection, exchange of information, evaluation and response to the appearance of new substances, or events related to the use of psychoactive substances, which may generate a problem of public health. "New psychoactive substances" (NPS) are understood to be synthetic or natural substances not controlled by international law and often produced to mimic the effects of controlled drugs.

The investigations resulting from this early warning system have the mission of providing useful information at different levels in Spain:

1.- Users.

2.- Professionals.

3.- Inspection processes.

4.- Judicial processes.

The SEAT was implemented, among other things, for the effective exercise by the State of the competence in matters of "public security" attributed by article 149.1.29 of the Spanish Constitution.