Forensic Science and Drugs of Abuse

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Forensic Science and Drugs of Abuse
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Forensic Science

• The application of science to questions which are
  of interest to the legal system as well as social
  sciences.

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History of Forensic Science

• 287-212 BC Eureka / Archimedes
• 7th Century AD Fingerprints / Soleiman
• 1248 AD Entomology / Song Ci
• 16th Century Violent deaths / Ambrose Pare
• 1836 AD Arsenic murder / James Marsh
• 1900 AD Blood types
• 1921 AD Lie detector
• 2000 AD Urine, hair, sweat, blood testing
• 2005 AD Dick Tracy and CSI

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Requirements of Forensic Science

• Forensic science policies, procedures, methods,
  and techniques must be scientific.
• Scientific means adherence to scientific
  principles of accuracy, proficiency, reliability,
  reproducibility, and defensibility.

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Requirements of Forensic Science

• Forensic science results must provide information
  (knowledge) which will assist the trier of fact

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Requirements of Forensic Science

• Forensic science methods must . . .
• Be peer reviewed and published
• Be standardized
• Have known or potential error rates
• Be generally accepted

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Requirements of Forensic Science

• Meet the Federal Rules of Evidence
• 0-50
• Mere suspicion
• Reasonable suspicion
• Probable cause

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Requirements of Forensic Science

• Meet the Federal Rules of Evidence
• 50-95
• Preponderance of evidence
• 95-99.9
• Beyond a reasonable doubt

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Scope of Forensic Science

• Ballistics Genetics Serology
  
• Dactylography Computer Paleography
• Evidence Textile
• Anthropology Entomology
• Pathology Palynology
• Deontology Engineering
• Toxicology Accounting
• Psychiatry Documents

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Crime Case File

• Outside the kitchen
• Inside the kitchen
• Inside the bedroom

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Crime Case File

• Outside the kitchen
• Shoe print
• Glass fragments
• Blood
• Clothing fibers
• Fingerprints

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Crime Case File

• Inside the kitchen
• Fingerprints
• Shoe print
• Cigarette butt

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Crime Case File

• Inside the bedroom
• Document analysis
• Blood pattern analysis
• Blood analysis
• Fingerprints
• Hairs and fibers
• Body fluid samples / toxicology testing

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Forensic Urine Drug Testing

• EMIT (Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Test)
• GC/MS (Gas chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy)
• RIA (Radioimmunoassay)
• HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography)
• Spot / Dip tests
• TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography)

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Forensic Urine Drug Testing

• The two studies involving the largest sample size
  place the EMIT test at a level of certainty even
  higher than the reasonable doubt standard
• Peranzo v. Coughlin, 608F.Suppl504(D.C.N.Y.1985)

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Forensic Urine Drug Testing

• Why Nova Uses EMIT and GC/MS
• Peer reviewed and published
• Standardized methodologies
• Known potential error rates
• Results are beyond a reasonable doubt
• Accepted - NIDA, FAA, Military, Courts

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Other Forensic Drug Testing

• Blood Testing
• Hair Testing
• Sweat Testing

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Forensic Urine Drug Testing

• Urine is the fluid and dissolved substances
  secreted by the kidneys, stored in the bladder,
  and excreted from the body through the urethra.

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Forensic Urine Drug Testing

• Forensic urine is of interest to the legal system
  as well as social sciences.

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Value of Forensic Urine

• The value of forensic urine lies in the nature of
  the urine sample.

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Nature of Forensic Urine

• The nature of forensic urine is affected by many
  issues.
• Individual physiology
• Medical conditions and treatments
• Diet and exercise
• Collection time and circumstances
• Adulteration

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Characteristics of Normal Urine

• Temperature 90 100 F
• Color Yellow
• Appearance Clear
• Specific Gravity 1.003 1.035
• Glucose Negative
• Bilirubin Negative
• Ketones Negative
• Occult Blood Negative
• Protein Negative
• Nitrite Negative (0-500 mg/L)
• Leukocyte esterase Negative

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Methods of Adulteration

• Dilution / diuresis
• Additives
• Substitution

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Specimen Integrity Testing for Adulterants

• Color and Appearance
• Temperature (90 - 100 F)
• Creatinine (20 400 mg/dl)
• Nitrite (0 500 mg/L)
• pH (4.5 9.0)
• Specific Gravity (1.003 1.035 units)

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Dilution / Diuresis

• Consuming large quantities of fluid to dilute
  metabolites
• Diuretics
• Coffee, cranberry juice, iced tea, herbal tea,
  grapes, herbal diuretics
• Commercial detoxification agents

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Dilution / Diuresis

• Ultimate blend
• Carbo Clean
• Naturally Klean Herbal Tea
• Goldenseal
• Certa or Certo (pectin)
• Vales Original Formula

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Dilution / Diuresis

• Vinegar
• Fiber
• Lecithin
• Lasix (Rx)
• Aspirin
• Niacin
• Zinc sulfate
• Puri Blend (claimed blocker)
• The Stuff (claimed blocker)

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Tests to Detect Dilution /DiuresisAdulteration

• Temperature
• Color and Appearance
• Creatinine
• Specific Gravity

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Additives / Doping

• Water
• Coloring
• Powdered bleach
• Klear (nitrite)
• Ammonia
• Blood
• Drano
• Goldenseal
• 30 Hydrogen peroxide
• Lemon juice
• Liquid soap

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Additives / Doping

• Mary Janes SuperClean 13
• Purifyit
• Sodium nitrate
• Table salt
• UrinAid
• Vinegar
• Visine
• WD40
• Papain

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Tests to Detect Additives Adulteration

• Temperature
• Color and Appearance
• Nitrite
• pH
• Specific Gravity

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Substitution

• Use purchased urine liquid or dried
• Urine transportation system Urinator
• Bladder Injection
• Dog urine does not work
• Stealing urine

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Tests to Detect SubstitutionAdulteration

• Temperature
• Color and Appearance
• Creatinine
• Specific Gravity

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Forensic Urine Drug Screen Tests

• Amphetamine / Methamphetamine (1000 ng/ml)
• Barbiturate (300 ng/ml)
• Benzodiazepine (300 ng/ml)
• Cocaine (300 ng/ml)
• Alcohol, Ethyl (0 )
• Opiate (2000 ng/ml)
• THC / marijuana (50 ng/ml)
• Specimen integrity tests

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Drug Detection Rate

• Amphetamine / Methamphetamine (3)
• Barbiturate (5)
• Benzodiazepine (12)
• Cocaine (8)
• Alcohol, Ethyl (3)
• Opiate (22)
• THC / marijuana (47)

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Drug Detection Times

• Amphetamine / Methamphetamine (2-4 days)
• Barbiturate
• (1 day Seconal 2-3 weeks - Phenobarbital)
• Benzodiazepine (3-7 days)
• Cocaine (2-4 days)
• Alcohol, Ethyl (12 24 hours)
• Opiate (2-4 days)
• THC / marijuana (3-30 days)

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Amphetamine / Methamphetamine

• Stimulants
• Biphetamine
• Dexedrine
• Desoxyn
• MDMA (methylenedioxy-methamphetamine

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Barbiturate

• Depressant
• Amytal
• Nembutal
• Seconal
• Phenobarbital

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Benzodiazepine

• Depressant
• Ativan
• Halcion
• Librium
• Valium
• Xanax
• (Rohypnol Mexican Valium)

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Cocaine

• Stimulant
• Cocaine

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Alcohol, Ethyl

• Depressant
• Beer, wine, spirits

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Opiate

• Pain relief, depressant
• Codeine
• Fiorinal, Empirin, Tylenol with codeine
• Robitussin A-C
• Fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze)
• Heroin (diacetylmorphine)
• Morphine (Roxanol, Duramorph)
• Opium (laudanum, paregoric)
• Oxycodone HCl (Oxycontin)
• Vicodin (hydrocodone bitartrate)

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THC /Marijuana

• Cannabinoid
• Hashish
• Marijuana

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Other Drugs of Interest

• Depressants
• GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate)
• Methaqualone (Quaalude, Sopor, Parest)
• Dissociative Anesthetics
• Ketamine (Ketalar SV)
• PCP and analogs (phencyclidine)

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Other Drugs of Interest

• Hallucinogens
• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
• Mescaline (peyote)
• Psilocybin (mushroom)
• Steroids
• Anabolic (Anadrol, Oxandrin, Durabolin,
  Depo-Testosterone, Equipoise

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Other Drugs of Interest

• Inhalants
• Solvents (paint thinners, gasoline, glues)
• Gases (butane, propane, aerosol propellants,
  nitrous oxides)
• Nitrites (isoamyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl)

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Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

• Almost all drugs of abuse change the way the
  brain works by affecting chemical
  neurotransmission.
• Heroin and LSD mimic the effects of natural
  neurotransmitters.
• PCP blocks receptors and interrupts neuronal
  messages

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Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

• PCP blocks receptors and interrupts neuronal
  messages
• Cocaine blocks re-uptake of neurotransmitters
• Amphetamines cause the release of excessive
  amounts of neurotransmitters

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Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

• THC binds to and activates receptors in the
  cerebellum and hippocampus. Binding interferes
  with the normal activity of neurons in these
  areas

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Forensic Science and Drugs of Abuse