Doctors sound alarmThe number of suspected poisonings involving synthetic drugs reported to Ireland's National Poisons Information Centre has doubled in just three years, according to new HSE data, as doctors warn that many of the substances cannot be detected by routine hospital tests. The drugs are designed to replicate the effects of cocaine or cannabis but can be far stronger, adding a dangerous new layer to the trade in illicit drugs in Ireland. Thirty cases were reported to the centre last year, and some substances were so novel they could only be identified after further laboratory testing. A new pilot early-warning system for novel substances is already in operation. Why synthetic drugs are so hard to detectThe proliferation has been described as an “arms race” between chemists producing new compounds and the services trying to catch them, according to The Journal Investigates.