The illicit drug trade is becoming more unpredictable, with traffickers experimenting with new synthetic substances that have never been tested on humans. The United Nations has reported 1,446 new psychoactive substances worldwide, more than double the number reported a decade ago, and by the time new synthetic drugs are identified in the U.S. it is often too late. The problem is exacerbated by lack of integrated real-time data to detect and respond to emerging threats before they are fully formed. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's director, Sara Carter, has announced several initiatives to address these issues. However, the author argues that the US. must also learn from countries like Scotland and Estonia who have previously been the first to encounter these threats.