Illegal Drugs

1. Illegal Drugs

2. What is a drug? • A chemical that causes a physiological or psychological action in the body • Illegal drugs are abused because they produce a euphoric effect • Euphoria – a deep sense of well-being • Why do many people take illegal drugs? • It makes them feel good!!!

3. Price of euphoria… • Tolerance – occurs when, over time, an ever-increasing dose of a drug is required • Physical dependency • results when the body becomes accustomed to the regular intake of a drug • Can happen if the drug user takes a new dose before the effects of the previous dose have worn off • Withdrawal sickness (cramps, nausea, chills, vomiting, insomnia, convulsions, pain, and hallucinations)

4. Psychological dependency • deep need for the continued intake of a drug occurs in an individual • Ex. Famous experiment by NY City Department of Health: Rat, two levers, cocaine, food

5. When substances, legal or illegal are take strictly for pleasure they are considered “drugs of abuse” or “illicit drugs” • In the U.S. 75 % of the evidence being examined in forensic labs are drug related.

6. Classes of drugs: Narcotics: • analgesics relieve pain by depressing central nervous system activity • Mild analgesics are OTC drugs= aspirin, Tylenol and Motrin • Illicit narcotics come from opium • leads to physical dependence • Methadone is used in the U.S. as a heroin substitute • opium derivatives: codeine, morphine, heroin

7. Classes of drugs: Hallucinogens: • Cause marked changes in thought processes, perceptions, and mood • Decreases the users ability to concentrate, slows reactions, and impairs coordination • The active ingredient (THC) can range from 1-10% in a cultivated female plant • Hash oil can contain up to 50% • LSD is a possible teratogen(an agent that can cause birth defects in an embryo or fetus) • Includes marijuana, LSD, PCP, MDMA

8. Classes of Drugs Depressants: • Barbiturates: “downers” are highly addictive; withdrawal is difficult and dangerous • Common anxiety reducers and sleep aid • tranquilizers, inhalants • Alcohol!!

9. Classes of Drugs Stimulants: • Act on the central nervous system to make the user feel better and increase energy • Also suppresses appetite and fatigue • Side effects: restlessness, anxiety, and depression when the drug wears off. • Amphetamines, cocaine, meth, crack

10. History of Cocaine • Leaves of the coca plant, Erythroxylon coca, were given to Inca royalty in keeping with their religious and cultural beliefs • The South American Indians chewed on the leaves to get additional strength and endurance • In the 1880’s Sigmund Freud considered cocaine a miracle drug that led to clarity of mind • In 1886 the Coca Cola Co. marketed its new soft drink, made from the same coca leaves, as an alternative to alcoholic drinks • One bottle of Coca Cola contained about 60 mg of cocaine • In 1903 the company was forced to remove cocaine from its beverage, but it still uses the leaves for flavor

11. Cocaine • Stimulant that acts on the central nervous system to make the user feel better or increase energy • Stimulants increase the amount of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain, which increases blood pressure and heart rate, constricts blood vessels, increases blood glucose, and increases breathing. • Effects • increase alertness • Attention • energy along with a sense of euphoria. • potential for cardiovascular failure (heart attack) or lethal seizures.

13. Methods of extracting cocaine • Leaves are mashed and soaked • Cocaine is extracted with help from a solvent • Extract is 70% cocaine hydrochloride • Cocaine hydrochloride is a salt and can either be injected intravenously or inhaled through the nose • Free base or Crack is produced by mixing cocaine with an aqueous solution of baking soda. As the mixture is heated, a cracking sound is produced, hence the name crack cocaine.

14. Methamphetamine • Powdered – also called crystal or crank; most common form; produced in illegal labs; can be injected, snorted, ingested, or smoked • Ice – also known as glass, batu, or shabu; made by recrystalizing powdered meth in a solvent such as water, alcohol, or acetone; usually smoked • Tablets – normally manufactured in Burma; can be flavored and taken by mouth or smoked; often imprinted with an R or a WY

15. Manufacturing of Methamphetamine • Manufactured using ephedrine or pseudophedrine as a starting ingredient • Active ingredient of sudafed and other cold medications • Obtaining the packages of sudafed for the clandestine labs is called smurfing • Production of 1 lb of meth yields 6 lb of toxic waste

16. Meth Mouth

17. Meth Addiction • http://www.rehabs.com/explore/meth-before-and-after-drugs/infographic.html

23. Marijuana Facts • Most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. • Hallucinogen that alters perception or moods. • Estimated that more than 12 million Americans above the age of 12 use marijuana at least once a month • Estimated that about 54% of the population between the ages of 18 and 25 have tried it • Used in Chinese medicine as early as 2737 B.C. • Entered the U.S. from 1850-1942 and recommended for the treatment of rheumatism, nausea, and labor pains

24. Marijuana Facts • Greenish-brown mixture of the leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the plant Cannabis • Grows in most parts of the world • Active ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) • Bind to specific receptor sites in the human brain which trigger the euphoric effect for which the drug is taken

25. Heroin • Derivative of the narcotic morphine • A narcotic is a drug that reduces pain and causes sleep • Morphine is the active ingredient of opium, the juice of the unripe poppy plant • Famous scene in the Wizard of Oz • Poppy Plant  opium morphine opiate pain killers  heroin

26. 3400 B.C. cultivated by the Sumerians who called it Hul Gil which means “joy plant” • Arabs and Turks introduced it to the Chinese • A mixture of opium, alcohol, and herbs was sold to the public as laudanum • In 1898 Bayer marketed a new wonder drug, Bayer Heroin

27. Manufacturing of Heroin • Created by reacting morphine with acetic anhydride • Normally sold on the street as a mixture of heroin and various cutting agents, which can include quinine, mannitol, lactose, starch, and even arsenic • Taken as an intravenous injection • Spoon used to hold heroin, salt, and water over candle and warmed until dissolved

28. MDMA a.k.a. Ecstasy • A hallucinogen that is a member of synthetic drugs used at nightclubs and referred to as club drugs • Produced by Merck Pharmaceutical • In 1976 Alexander Shulgin of San Francisco taste-tested it • “I feel absolutely clean inside, and there is nothing but pure euphoria. I have never felt so great or believed this to be possible. The cleanliness, clarity, and marvelous feeling of solid inner strength continued throughout the rest of the day and evening. I am overcome by the profundity of the experience.”

29. MDMA a.k.a. Ecstacy • Classified as a moderate threat by the U.S. Dept. of Justice • Used by psychotherapists in the 1980s but has since been banned altogether by the DEA • 90% is synthesized in Belgium and the Netherlands • Pure MDMA is a crystalline solid • Typical dose is about 125 mg • Normally taken orally as a tablet, capsule, or powder

30. Pharmaceuticals • Abused substances that are available legally by prescription • Obtained by improper prescribing, forging prescriptions, theft, or going to multiple doctors for prescriptions • New sources is Internet pharmacies • Hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (Oxycotin), hydromorphoone (Dilaudid), and codeine, diazepam (Valium), dextroamphetamine (Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin)

31. Date Rape Drugs • GHB • Available over the counter at health food stores in the 1980s • Was used by body builders to help increase muscle mass and reduce fat • Rohypnol • Causes a condition known as anterograde amnesia • Person may not remember any of the events that occur when they are incapacitated • Effect is greatly increased when the drug is mixed with alcohol

32. Ketamine • Legally used as an animal anesthetic and approved for human anesthetic • Normal usage levels cause a dreamy state and hallucinations

33. LSD • First synthesized by Swiss chemist in 1943 • Derivative of lysergic acid which is produced by ergot fungus • Powerful drug that can be active in as small a dose as 25 micrograms • Hoffmann accidentally ingested some and experienced the first “acid trip” • Some people can experience flashbacks • Available in the form of tablets, capsules, liquid, gelatin squares, and sugar cubes

35. PCP (Angel Dust) • A common name for the drug phencyclidine (PCP) • Can be snorted, smoked, or eaten • Developed in the 1950’s as an intravenous anesthetic but was never approved for use in humans • Often mixed with other drugs or used to lace cigarettes, cigars, and marijuana joints • Can cause a feeling of invincibility • Can exhibit great feats of strength b/c they feel no pain

36. PCP • PCP is classified as a dissociative anesthetic because users appear to be "disconnected" from their environment: they know where they are, but they do not feel as if they are part of it. • The drug has different effects on different people. • It can act as a stimulant, a depressant, an analgesic (decreasing pain) or a hallucinogen depending on the dose and route of administration. • The effects produced by PCP are different from those caused by hallucinogens such as LSD.

37. Psilocybin • Active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms (Shrooms) • Illegal in the U.S., except for Native Americans for use in their religious practices • Shrooms are found on “cow patties”

38. Inhalants • Solvent vapors that cause a euphoric effect • Aerosols, gases, and nitrates • Spray paint, glue, nail polish remover, and cleaning fluid are the most common • Abuse of these drugs can cause dizziness, withdrawal, nausea, vomiting, and seizures • Can cause damage to major organs in the body such as the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, and liver • This type of drug use is called “Huffing” or “sniffing”

39. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axh_0tALnW4

40. LEAN • http://www.thirstmonger.com/m-53-lean-slow-motion-potion.aspx

41. Krokodil • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY3EHQfkCsI

42. Synthetic Drugs • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSI-QU4U62E

43. Drugs and Crime • REMEMBER: A drug is a natural or synthetic substance designed to affect the subject psychologically or physiologically. • “Controlled substances” are drugs that are restricted by law • Controlled Substances Act is a law that was enacted in 1970; it lists illegal drugs, their category and their penalty for possession, sale or use.

44. The Controlled Substances Act • Passed in 1970 • Schedule I • No accepted medical use • High potential for abuse • Cannot be prescribed by physicians • Heroin, LSD, MDMA, psilocybin, marijuana • Schedule II • Have accepted medical use • High potential for abuse • Can be prescribed by physicians with strict control • morphine, codeine, oxycodone, ritalin

45. The Controlled Substances Act • Schedule III • Accepted medical use • Medium potential for abuse • Amobarbital, anabolic steroids, barbiturates • Schedule IV • Accepted medical use • Lower potential for abuse • Valium, Xanax, Ambien, Librium • Schedule V • Accepted medical use • Lowest potential for abuse • Codeine found in low doses in cough medicine

46. Collection of Drugs • No prescribe single packaging procedure due to vast number of drug types • Common sense is the best guide when collecting suspected drugs • Any packaging should prevent the loss of the contents and/or cross contamination

47. Analysis of Drug Evidence • Important to use gloves and sometimes a mask when collecting and analyzing drug evidence • Common Myth: law enforcement officers taste suspected drugs

48. Identification of Drugs • PDR—Physicians’ Desk Reference • used to identify manufactured pills, tablets and capsules • Field Tests—presumptive tests • Laboratory Tests—conclusive tests

49. Presumptive Test • Carried out in field • Places drug in pouch • Squeezes a capsule within the pouch releasing the chemical reagent inside • Specific color changes indicate the possible presence of a drug • Can be used as probable cause for an arrest • Can yield false positives • Cannot be used in court

50. Presumptive Test Screening or presumptive tests • Spot or color tests • Microcrystalline test— • a reagent is added that produces a crystalline precipitate which is unique for a certain drug. • Chromatography