The problem of drug addiction has for long been recognized as a global phenomenon with which have been dealing different institutions in different countries. What is increasingly mentioned in the context of drug abuse are new psychoactive substances which are not covered by international drug controls and include a wide range of synthetic drugs. In Croatia, new psychoactive substances have also been reported, but there is a lack of research to deal with such drugs in order to develop guidelines for further research in area of prevention and treatment of such persons. The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics of new psychoactive substance users and to create guidelines for the implementation of research aimed at targeting the population that is most common seen us users, in terms of the consumption of new psychoactive substances. To create preconditions for effective prevention of addiction to use of new psychoactive substances, it is crucial to know the characteristics of the population that this substances consumes. The paper deals with leading issues related to the topic of new psychoactive substances, from the changing and rapidly growing drug market to diverse, legal responses to the problem itself, the consequences of consumption and treatment options. By reviewing and exploring the literature, relevant domestic and foreign researches on new psychoactive substances are presented and described, and the results of them served as guidelines for recognizing the key users of new psychoactive substances and subpopulations that these same individuals belong to. In the final part of the paper, recommendations and guidelines for future researchers have been given, for the purpose of better responding to the problem of the emergence of new psychoactive substances and their consumers in the future. Given the lack of research into new psychoactive substances, with particular emphasis on their consumers, this paper provides a good overview of existing knowledge on the characteristics of consumers and guidelines for further research efforts to develop and create adequate responses to the overall problem of the phenomena of psychoactive substances.