NextGen Harm Reduction (NEHRD) is a pioneering European initiative addressing the urgent challenges posed by new psychoactive substances (NPS)—synthetic drugs that are rapidly appearing on the market and posing serious, unpredictable risks to public health. These substances, often marketed deceptively as “legal highs” or “ethnobotanicals,” are increasingly popular among young people and marginalized communities. Their fast-changing composition, online availability, and high potency make them difficult to regulate and even harder to respond to with traditional addiction support systems.

The NEHRD project brings together leading harm reduction organizations from Romania, Serbia, Portugal, and North Macedonia to develop innovative, inclusive, and digitally driven harm reduction strategies that meet the realities of today’s drug landscape.