Chapter 5 Drugs “Having sniffed the dead man’s lips, I detected a slightly sour smell, and I came to the conclusion that he had poison forced upon him.” —Sherlock Holmes, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Drugs and Crime A drug is a natural or synthetic substance designed to produce psychological or physiological effects in humans or other animals. 75% of evidence evaluated by crime labs is drug related. “Controlled substances” are drugs that are restricted by law 1970 5 schedules of classification Based on potential for abuse, physical dependence, psychological dependence, and medical value. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Controlled Substances Act Schedule I—high potential for abuse; no currently acceptable medical use in the US; a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision Schedule II—high potential for abuse; a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions; abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence Schedule III—lower potential for abuse than the drugs in I or II; a currently accepted medical use in the US; abuse may lead to moderate physical dependence or high psychological dependence Schedule IV—low potential for abuse relative to drugs in III; a currently accepted medical use in the US; abuse may lead to limited physical or psychological dependence relative to drugs in III Schedule V—low potential for abuse relative to drugs in IV; currently accepted medical use in the US; abuse may lead to limited physical or psychological dependence relative to drugs in IV Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Examples of Controlled Substances and Their Schedule Placement Schedule I—heroin (diacetylmorphine), LSD, marijuana, ecstasy (MDMA) Schedule II—cocaine, morphine, amphetamines (including methamphetamines), PCP, Ritalin Schedule III—intermediate acting barbiturates, anabolic steroids, ketamine Schedule IV—other stimulants and depressants including Valium, Xanax, Librium, phenobarbital, Darvon Schedule V—codeine found in low doses in cough medicines Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Types of Drugs The widely used forensic classification scheme for illicit drugs, based on their effects: 1. Narcotics 2. Hallucinogens 3. Depressants 4. Stimulants 5. Club Drugs 6.Anabolic Steroids Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Narcotics Induce sleep and depresses the body’s vital functions like pulse, blood pressure, and breathing Legally used for pain and sleep Most narcotics are opiates, derived from the opium plant (morphine, codeine) Examples are heroin, morphine, and methadone National Geographic: Heroin Documentary Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Hallucinogens Hallucinogens are drugs that cause changes to normal thought, perceptions, and moods Marijuana is the most popular hallucinogen Liquid hashish is the strongest form and is made from the sticky resin of plant. Other examples: LSD, PCP, and “angel dust” National Geographic: Marijuana Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Depressants Depressants- slow down the central nervous system Alcohol (Ethyl Alcohol)- the most widely abused legal drug Barbituates “downers” relax the user, create a feeling of well-being, and produce sleep. Examples include secobarbital, phenobarbital, and quaaludes. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Depressants Cont. Antipsychotics and Antianxiety Drugs produce relaxation without causing sleep. Examples include Valium and Librium “Huffing” – sniffing materials containing volatile solvents Inhalant Abuse Inhalant Abuse 2 Inhalant Abuse 3 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Stimulants Stimulants- substances that speed up the central nervous system Amphetamines- called uppers or speed; IV or pill, but can be smoked Cocaine- usually sniffed or snorted; produces euphoria; very potent form called crack and is smoked; South American countries are main suppliers Nat. Geo. Documenatary: Cocaine Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Club Drugs Used at night clubs, bars and raves MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol (Roofies), and methamphetamine GHB and Rohypnol are depressants associated with rape and robbery Ecstasy is a hallucinogenic and has amphetamine-like effects Ketamine used by vets, but can cause hallucinations Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Anabolic Steroids Anabolic steroids- related to male sex hormone testosterone that promotes muscle growth Used by amateur and professional athletes to enhance performance Harmful side effects include liver cancers, masculinization of females, infertility, diminished sex drive in males, etc… Nat. Geo. : The Science of Steroids

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Drug Identification Screening or presumptive tests Spot or color tests- produce characteristic colors for common illicit drugs Microcrystalline test— a reagent is added that produces a crystalline precipitate which is unique for a certain drug. Chromatography Confirmatory tests Spectrophotometry Ultraviolet (UV) Visible Infrared (IR) Mass spectrometry Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Human Components Used for Drug Analysis Blood Urine Hair Gastric Contents Bile Liver tissue Brain tissue Kidney tissue Spleen tissue Vitreous Humor of the Eye Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Presumptive Color Tests Marquis—turns purple in the presence of most opium derivatives and orange-brown with amphetamines Dillie-Koppanyi—turns violet-blue in the presence of barbiturates Duquenois-Levine—turns a purple color in the presence of marijuana Van Urk—turns a blue-purple in the presence of LSD Scott test—color test for cocaine, blue Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Chromatography A technique for separating mixtures into their components Includes two phases—a mobile (liquid or solvent) one that flows past a stationary (paper or thin layer plate) one. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Paper Chromatography Capillary action moves the mobile phase through the stationary phase Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Thin Layer Chromatography Stationary phase— a thin layer of coating (usually alumina or silica) on a sheet of plastic or glass Mobile phase— a liquid solvent Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Gas Chromatography, page 182 Phases Stationary—a solid or a viscous liquid that lines a tube or column Mobile—a gas like nitrogen or helium Analysis Peaks that are proportional to the quantity of the substance present Larger molecules move through chromatograph slower. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Uses of Gas Chromatography Not considered a confirmation of a controlled substance Used as a separation tool before the follow-up confirmatory tests: mass spectroscopy (MS) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) Used to quantitatively measure the concentration of a sample. (In a courtroom, there is no real requirement to know the concentration of a substance. It does not affect guilt or innocence). Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Spectroscopy Spectroscopy—the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. Spectrophotometer—an instrument used to measure and record the absorption spectrum of a chemical substance. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Spectrophotometry Types (radiation sources) Ultraviolet Visible Infrared- unique ID, like a fingerprint Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Mass Spectrometry Gas chromatography has one major drawback, it does not give a specific identification. Mass spectrometry cannot separate mixtures. By combining the two (GCMS), constituents of mixtures can be specifically identified. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Mass Spectra Each molecular species has its own unique mass spectrum which means you get an exact ID. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

IR Spectrophotometry and Mass Spectrometry Both work well in identifying pure substances. Mixtures are difficult to identify in both techniques Both are compared to a catalog of standard reference samples When used with Gas Chromatography you separate the mixtures and get an exact ID of each component in the mixture. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Collection and Preservation of Drug Evidence Packaged to prevent loss or contamination; can be original container drug was seized in Volatile Solvents in air-tight containers Labeled/Chain of Custody Officer should supply any background info known and results of any field tests Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company