In June 1997, the EMCDDA was assigned a major role by the Council of the EU in the detection and risk assessment of new synthetic drugs. Later that year, it published New trends in synthetic drugs in the European Union, based on two Europe-wide reviews of the epidemiology of synthetic drug use and related demand-reduction activities in the EU. The publication responded to a clear need to audit what was known of the new synthetic drug phenomenon at that time across Europe and to develop a comprehensive knowledge base for informing policy, legislation and prevention initiatives in this area.