Drugs as Evidence

1. Drugs as Evidence

2. What is a “drug”? • Any natural or synthetic substance that is used to produce physiological or psychological effects in humans or “higher ordered animals”.

3. Drug Dependence • Nature of the drug • Route of administration • Dose • Frequency of administration • Individual’s rate of metabolism

4. Behavioral patterns • personal characteristics of the user • Expectations about the drug experience • Society’s attitudes and responses • Setting in which the drug is used

5. Physiological versus Psychological dependence Psychological dependence • Intensity of psychological dependence is dependent on the nature of the drug…………..but we can’t measure this! • Wide range of behavioral patterns associated with each drug.

6. Physiological dependence • Withdrawal sickness or abstinence syndrome • The desire to avoid the withdrawal sickness will ultimately cause addiction.

7. Dependence versus Physical Harm

8. Classification of Drugs. • Narcotic Drugs • Hallucinogens • Depressants • Stimulants • Anabolic Steriods

9. 1. Narcotic Drugs “state of lethargy or sluggishness” • Narcotic drugs are analgesics, which relieve pain by depressing the central nervous system. • Source of most analgesics is opium

10. Heroin • Derivative of morphine • Highly soluble • “high” accompanied by drowsiness and a sense of “well being” • “high” is short lived (3-4 hours)

11. Methadone • Synthetic opiate (not derived from opium) • Pharmacologically related to heroin • Eliminates the desire for heroin or morphine while producing minimal side effects. • Highly controversial!

12. Codeine • Prepared from opium • 1/6th as potent as morphine • Used as a cough suppressant

13. 2. Hallucinogens Cause marked alteration in the normal thought processes, perceptions and moods.

14. Marijuana • Preparation derived from Cannabis plant. • Hashish is the sticky residue which can be extracted by soaking in alcohol • Sinsemilla is the unfertilized flower tops of the female Cannibis plant • Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical substance responsible for the hallucinogenic properties of marijuana.

15. Marijuana cont.. • Health effects: • does not appear to cause physical dependency • Harm lies in long-term use Documented Health Benefits: • reduction of excessive eye pressure in glaucoma • Lessening of nausea caused by anti-cancer and immuno-suppressant drugs.

16. LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) Synthesized from a substance derived from ergot • Common names: sold as tablets, "computer acid" or "blotter paper LSD“ "Windopane" (aka "Clearlight“ i.e. LSD inside a thin gelatine square) street names including Acid, Trips, Blotter, Lucy • Vivid hallucinations that can last 12 hours, extreme changes in mood, feelings of anxiety and tension • No physical dependency

17. PCP (phenylcyclidine) Synthesized drug Common names: Angel Dust, Supergrass, Killer Weed, Embalming Fluid, and Rocket Fuel. • Smoked, ingested or sniffed • Extreme moods, dreamy sense of detachment in parallel to feelings of extreme strength and invulnerability. • Severe depression, tendencies toward violence and suicide accompany long term use.

18. MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) Synthesized drug Commonly known street name Ecstasy (often abbreviated E, X, or XTC), is a semisynthetic member of the amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs. • Feelings of happiness and relaxation, enhances self awareness and decreases inhibitions. • Psychological difficulties such as confusion, severe anxiety and paranoia. • Increases heart rate and blood pressure.

19. 3. Depressants Alcohol, barbituates, tranquilizers, “glue sniffing”.

20. Alcohol • Depressant action on the central nervous system (CNS) • Low doses: inhibit mental processes of judgement, memory and speech • Moderate doses: reduce coordination, speech, thought processes • Higher doses: irritability and severe emotion, crying, anger etc. • Extremely high doses: unconsciousness, fatal depression of the circulatory system and respiratory functions.

21. Barbituates • Depressant action on the CNS, intoxicating and produce similar effects during intoxication Drug abusers tend to prefer short-acting and intermediate-acting barbiturates. Eg. Amobarbital (Amytal), secobarbital (Seconal), phenobarbital, pentobarbital (Nembutal), butabarbital. A combination of amobarbital and secobarbital (called Tuinal) • High doses: withdrawal when discontinued, insomnia, muscle spasms, delirium and convulsions.

22. Tranquilizers • Depressant action on the CNS Benzodiazepines ("minor tranquilizers") eg. Meprobamate (Miltown), chlorodiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium). • Psychological and physical dependency associated with repeated high levels of use.

23. “Glue Sniffing”& huffing • Volatile or gaseous substances that are primarily CNS depressants. • Eg. Toluene, naptha, gasoline, trichloroethylene etc. • Liver, heart and brain damage with repeated use.

24. 4. Stimulants • Group of drugs that stimulate the CNS. • Eg. Amphetamines, cocaine

25. Cocaine • Insufflation (known colloquially as "snorting," "sniffing," or "blowing") • Common names: Freebase: the base form of cocaine (as opposed to the salt form of cocaine hydrochloride). • Crack cocaine: freebase "cooked" in the ratio is 50/50 to 40/60% cocaine/ sodium bicarbonate.

26. Amphetamines and their derivatives

27. Amphetamines & Methamphetamine Act by increasing levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain. • Includes drugs commonly used to treat attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children • Recreational users will use intravenous injection for more intense experience. • After “high” user will lapse into a period of exhaustion and sleep for 1-2 days. • Repeated use leads to strong psychological dependency.

28. 5. Anabolic Steroids • Synthetic compounds that are chemically related to male sex hormones (testosterone). • Side effects: liver cancer, masculizing effects on females, infertility and diminished sex drive in males, premature halting of bone growth in teenagers.

29. Drug Control Laws • Impose specific analytical requirements on drug analysis • US Federal Law is known as Controlled Substances Act.

30. Controlled Substances Act. • 5 schedules of classification (I – IV) • Listed on the basis of: - current accepted medical use. - drug’s potential for abuse Note there is no distinction between physical and psychological dependence

31. Chemically modified drug Extra Provision: Chemically related drugs result in penalties in the same schedule class as that of the original controlled substance.

32. Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I Heroin, methaqualone, LSD, Ecstasy (MDMA), Peyote, Psilocybin, Marijuana (& derivatives), various amphetamines. Schedule II Cocaine, Methadone, Morphine, PCP, Demerol, Dilaudid & certain cannabis, amphetamine and barbituates. Schedule III Opium, Vicodan, Tylenol w/codeine, anabolic steroids & certain narcotic, amphetamine and barbituates (except phenobarbital). Schedule IV Phenobarbital, tranquilizers (e.g. Valium), Darvocet, Xanax, Ambien Schedule V Lomotil, Phenergan, and liquid suspensions

33. Drug Identification 1. Screening Tests e.g. Color tests 2. Confirmation tests e.g. IR spectrophotometry, mass spectroscopy OR Drug Analytical Scheme e.g. Color tests, microcrystalline tests, chromatography, spectrophotometry etc.

34. Presumptive Color Tests 1. Marquis test - heroin and morphine (purple color) • amphetamines and metamphetamines (orange-brown color) 2. Dillie-Koppanyi test • barbiturates (violet-blue color) 3. Duquenois-Levine test - THC (marijuana) (purple color)

35. 4. Van Urk test • LSD (blue-purple color) 5. Scott test Cocaine (blue  pink  blue)

36. Microcrystalline Tests • More specific than color tests • Shape of the crystals examined by microscopy  identify the drug

37. Confirmation Tests • MUST REVIEW • Chromatography (GC, HPLC, TLC) • Spectrophotometry (IR) • Mass Spectroscopy ( and GC/MS)

38. Collection and Preservation of Evidence • Properly package and label evidence…..chain of custody! • Volatile solvents must be in airtight containers.