Drugs
Substances that produce physiological or psychological effects in humans. Natural or synthetic (man-made).
Properties of a drug
Chemical makeup, the effects that it has on a person, or other aspects that allow scientists to group it with other drugs.
Narcotics
Pain-killing or pain-reducing substances that tend to reduce the rates of bodily functions like pulse and breathing. Often reduce pain and induce sleep in those who take them.
Types of narcotic drugs.
Opiates and synthetic opiates
Opium
A milky substance that is obtained by cutting into the unripe pod of the poppy plant. Has anywhere from about 4 to 21 percent morphine in it and it tends to be brownish in color.
Quinine
Often one of the substances present in heroin samples. May confuse some individuals into thinking that the bag contains more heroin than it really does. Heroin
Synthetic Opiates
Not naturally produced from opiates, but they are often referred to as opiates because they produce similar effects in humans. Oxycotin
Depressants
Slow down the central nervous system. Alcohol
Barbiturates
Another form of depressants. They are often referred to as "downers," as they tend to relax the individual and produce sleep. Some are used for medical reasons, but they can also be abused by individuals for whom the drugs have not been prescribed.
Stimulants
Speed up the central nervous system. One common type is amphetamines, which are also known as "uppers.
Cocaine
Extracted from the coca plant. Its use today is largely as an illegal stimulant. Produce feelings of euphoria by stimulating the pleasure center of the brain. The highs produced are followed by depression. The highs followed by the lows are one of the rea
Done to produce crack
Regular cocaine is mixed with baking soda and water and heated. After drying, the substance can be broken into chunks, which are smoked.
Hallucinogens
Alter an individual's mood, perceptions, or thought. Marijuana
Marajuana
Legal for medical purposes in some states, but it remains the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. Product of the cannabis plant and it was first introduced into the United States in the early 1900s. Can produce a sense of well-being and re
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
First produced from ergot, a fungus that is found on some plants and grasses. The drug will produce vivid hallucinations and a change in mood. Sometimes mixed with another hallucinogen, phencyclidine, or PCP.
Club Drugs
Synthetic drugs that are typically used in bars, nightclubs, raves, and other gatherings. They are thought to enhance or improve the experience, although they also have side effects and dangers. Have a reputation as being used during crimes such as rape,
Why club drugs have become more prominent.
Their small, often tablet form make the drugs easy to conceal, and with so many people dancing and moving, individuals who take the drugs are often not as noticeable as they might be in another setting even when experiencing the effects of the drug.
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) aka Ecstacy
One of the most popular club drugs. Originally patented as an appetite suppressant, this synthetic drug produces feelings of happiness as well as hallucinations. Chronic use of the drug has serious effects on the body, including kidney failure, stroke, an
Ketamine (also known as Vitamin K or Special K)
Another drug found in the club scene that produces feelings of happiness and hallucinations. Also used as an anesthesia.
GHB and Rohypnol
Colorless, odorless drugs that can be easily slipped into someone's drink without the person noticing.
GHB
Produces drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. The effects of the drugs can be increased when they are accompanied by alcohol, which would also be commonly consumed in the club atmosphere.
Rohypnol
Produces a loss of consciousness, muscle relaxation, and a loss of memory about what happens after one has consumed the drug. The effects of the drugs can be increased when they are accompanied by alcohol, which would also be commonly consumed in the club
Different ways that a sample can be obtained.
Urine, saliva, blood, and hair for a specific amount of time. The stomach contents or some of the organs of the body, such as the liver and spleen. Parts of the eye can also be used. Through bacteria, maggots, and other organisms that have fed on the body
How drug evidence is collected.
Sometimes the container that the drug was initially found in will be sufficient to prevent any cross-contamination or loss of evidence. A pill bottle or plastic bag containing possible drugs might be placed in an evidence bag and marked with the chain of
Responsibilities of a forensic scientist when dealing with drugs.
Have to separate these different materials as they analyze the drugs brought to them in the lab, and they may find any number of materials or substances with the drug. Have to be ready to cover all potential alternatives when they examine a possible drug.
Screening Tests
Those that are nonspecific and help a forensic scientist identify several particular drugs that the substance is likely to be. Sometimes called spotter tests or field tests, since some of them may be used at the crime scene as well as the laboratory.
How screening tests are performed.
Forensic scientists will often take small samples of the substance and subject those samples to simple tests The tests involve adding a single chemical to the drug and observing the changes that happen. After some of the possibilities have been reduced, t
How screening tests are helpful to the process.
When they provide positive results and when they provide negative results, since the forensic scientist can then rule out certain types of drugs from the possibilities.However, it should be noted that screening tests are not used to provide proof of a par
Confirmatory Test
Test that proves a drug's identity.
Most common test used for drug evidence.
Color test
Color Tests
Involve introducing a chemical reagent to the drug and observing whether or not the material changes color. Sometimes used in the field by crime scene investigators to determine whether a drug is present at the scene. Useful in showing the presence of dru
Different color tests that are commonly used today.
Marquis Color, Cobalt Thiocyanate or Scott Test, Dille-Koppanyi, Van Urk-Salkowski (also Van Urk). and Duquenois-Levine Test.
Marquis Color
This test uses formaldehyde and sulfuric acid. The solution will turn purple when introduced to heroin, morphine, or other opium drugs. It will turn an orange-brown color in the presence of amphetamines.
Cobalt Thiocyanate or Scott Test
This test uses cobalt thiocyanate in a first solution, hydrochloric acid in a second solution, and chloroform in the third solution. The test is used when cocaine is suspected. Cocaine turns blue with the first solution and with the third solution.
Dille-Koppanyi
This test uses cobalt acetate and isopropylamine. The test can indicate the presence of barbiturates by turning the reagent violet-blue.
Van Urk-Salkowski (also Van Urk)
This test uses
p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, and ethyl alcohol. The solution will turn blue-purple when LSD is present. The test can be difficult to perform in the field
Duquenois-Levine Test
This test uses several solutions of vanillin, acetaldehyde, ethyl alcohol, and chloroform. Three different solutions are added to vegetation suspected of being marijuana. In the third solution, which uses chloroform, the solution will turn purple when mar
Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry
Provides another way for forensic scientists to examine materials. Cannot positively identify a particular drug, as there may be other materials with the drug that could influence the test results. The test is a very useful one in determining whether a dr
Infrared (or IR) Spectrophotometry
Can positively identify a drug, since the pattern of light is unique to each type of compound. However, the drug must be as pure as possible. To use this test as a positive identifier, a forensic scientist would first need to purify the drug as much as po
Microcrystalline Test
Involve exposing the substance to a reagent and then examining the color and morphology of the crystals that form. This test is much more specific than color tests in identifying a particular drug, as the size, color, and shape of the crystals will differ
Advantages of a microcrystalline test.
It can be done quickly and the drug does not need to be separated from any other substances that it is with.
Chromatography Test
Used to separate the drug from other substances that it might be packaged or diluted with.
Gas Chromatography
Uses gas to compare the retention time value of the different substances.
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).
Gas chromatography has also been combined with mass spectrometry. After gas chromatography has separated the materials in the sample, the mass spectrometer uses electrons to break apart the sample molecules. This is particularly helpful because no two sub