ILLEGAL
DRUGS
WHAT IS A DRUG?
• A natural or synthetic substance that
causes a physiological or psychological
action in the body
• Substances are abused because they
produce a euphoric effect
• Euphoria – a deep sense of well-being
• Current estimates are that approximately
23 million people in the U.S. are users of
PRICE OF EUPHORIA…
• Tolerance – occurs when, over time, an ever-increasing
dose of a drug is required to achieve the same effect
• 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)
PRICE OF EUPHORIA….
• 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
• 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.
Classes of drugs:
Narcotics:
• analgesics relieve pain by depressing central nervous
system activity. Reduces body functions such as blood
pressure, pulse rate, and breathing rate
• Mild analgesics are OTC drugs= aspirin, Tylenol
and Motrin
• Illicit narcotics come from opium
• opium derivatives: codeine, morphine, heroin
• Abuse or overuse leads to physical dependence
• Methadone is used in the U.S. as a heroin substitute
CLASSES OF DRUGS:
Hallucinogens:
• Cause marked alterations in normal thought processes,
perceptions, and mood.
• Decreases the users ability to concentrate, slows reactions, and impairs
coordination
• Marijuana is the most popular and controversial member
of this class
• It is estimated that 43 million Americans have tried marijuana
• The active ingredient (THC) can range from 1-10% in a
cultivated female plant
Hallucinogens:
• LSD is a possible teratogen (an agent that
can cause birth defects in an embryo or
fetus)
• PCP (Angel Dust) and MDMA (ecstasy)
CLASSES OF DRUGS
Depressants:
• A substance used to depress the functions of the central nervous
system that may induce sleep
• Barbiturates: commonly referred to as “downers” are highly
addictive; withdrawal is difficult and dangerous
• Common anxiety reducers and sleep aid
• Sedatives-produce sleep
• Tranquilizers-produces relaxing tranquility without impairment
of high-thinking faculties or the inducement of sleep
• Inhalants -exhilaration, impaired judgment and slurred speech
• Alcohol!!
CLASSES OF DRUGS
Stimulants:
• Act on the central nervous system to increase alertness
or activity making the user feel better and increase
energy
• Also suppresses appetite and fatigue
• Side effects: restlessness, anxiety, and depression
when the drug wears off.
• Diet Pills, Amphetamines, cocaine, meth, crack
CLUB DRUGS
• Synthetic drugs that are used at nightclubs,
bars and raves.
• These drugs can be a stimulant, depressant,
hallucinogen, narcotic or a combination of the
four classes
•
•
MDMA, GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine and methamphetamine
Produce euphoria
MARIJUANA
• “Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004,"
12.7 percent of state inmates and 12.4 percent of federal inmates
incarcerated for drug violations are serving time for marijuana
offenses.
• Multiplying these totals by U.S. DOJ prison expenditure data reveals
that taxpayers are spending more than $1 billion annually to
imprison pot offenders.
• about 94 million Americans-- that's 40 percent of the U.S. population
age 12 or older -- self-identify as having used cannabis at some
point in their lives
HOW DID MARIJUANA BECOME
ILLEGAL?
•
When methods of processing hemp into paper and plastics were
becoming more readily available and affordable, business leaders
including William Randolph Hearst and DuPont stood to lose fortunes.
•
•
•
They did everything in their power to have it outlawed.
•
Anslinger led the campaign to demonize marijuana.
Hearst was the owner of a chain of newspapers.
DuPont’s chief financial backer Andrew Mellon (also the Secretary of the
Treasury during President Hoover) was responsible for appointing Harry
J. Anslinger, in 1931 as the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs.
MARIJUANA FACTS
• Most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S.
• Hallucinogen that alters perception or moods.
• 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
• Potential Medicinal Uses:
• Lessens nausea caused by anticancer drugs
• Lessens eye pressure caused by glaucoma
• Growing evidence that it can cure some forms of cancer
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
MARIJUANA FACTS
• No current evidence that experimental or intermittent use causes
physical or psychological harm.
• Marijuana does not cause physical dependency.
• Heavy users CAN develop a strong psychological dependency
• Side effect:
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•
•
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Increased heart rate
Dryness of the mouth
Reddening of the eyes
Impaired motor skills and concentration
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
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
METH MOUTH
METH ADDICTION
• http://www.rehabs.com/explore/meth-before-and-afterdrugs/infographic.html
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
• Poppy Plant  opium morphine opiate pain
killers  heroin
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
HEROIN
• Famous scene in the Wizard of Oz
HEROIN
Chronic users may develop collapsed veins,
infection of the heart lining and valves,
abscesses, constipation and
gastrointestinal cramping, and liver or
kidney disease.
HISTORY OF HEROINE
• 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
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
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.
METHODS OF
EXTRACTING COCAINE
• Leaves are mashed and soaked
• It is produced by combining coca paste and hydrochloric acid.
• Powder cocaine is a white powdery substance that is
abused by snorting, or by dissolving in water and injecting
into a vein. This form of cocaine cannot be smoked. Powder
cocaine is much more expensive than crack cocaine.
• The slowest onset of cocaine’s effects occurs when it is
snorted, and this can take up to 20 minutes. The effects last
up to 60 minutes. When injected, cocaine reaches the brain
within one minute and the effects last for up to 30 minutes.
CRACK COCAINE
• According to the US Dept. of Justice, crack cocaine is more
psychologically addicting than powder cocaine, and is thus more
likely to result in chronic and heavy use.
• Produced from powder cocaine and is smoked.
• Crack is essentially powder cocaine mixed with water and baking
soda which is dried into a solid mass.
• This mass is ‘cracked’ into rocks that are smoked.
• takes about 20 seconds to reach the brain, and its effects last for
about 30 minutes.
COCAINE
ADDICTION
• Cocaine interacts with dopamine, norepinepherine, and serotonin.
• It blocks the reuptake of these chemicals in the brain by binding to the
transporters that usually remove the excess of the neurotransmitters from
the synaptic gap.
•
Prevents them from being reabsorbed, and instead their concentration is
higher than usual in the synapses.
•
Dopamine is implicated in the production and development of dependency,
serotonin produces feelings of confidence, and norepinephrine interacts
with energy levels.
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.”
MDMA A.K.A. ECSTACY
• 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
• the dosage is not regulated so each pill may be different
• Form: tablet, capsule, or powder
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
• Ex: Hydrocodone (Vicodin),
oxycodone (Oxycotin),
hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and
codeine, diazepam (Valium),
dextroamphetamine (Adderall) and
methylphenidate (Ritalin)
DATE RAPE DRUGS
• GHB (Gama Hydroxybutyric Acid)
• Depressant originally prescribed for sleep disorders
• Banned by the FDA in 1990
• Odorless and colorless liquid that is undetectable in liquids
• Dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, visual disturbances, respiratory distress,
amnesia, seizures and coma
• 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
KETAMINE
• AKA: Special K
• Legally used as an animal anesthetic
and approved for human anesthetic
• Normal usage levels cause a dreamy
state and hallucinations
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”
• Flashbacks possible
• Available in the form of tablets,
capsules, liquid, gelatin squares,
and sugar cubes
PCP (ANGEL DUST)
• PCP (phencyclidine)
• Can be snorted, smoked, or eaten
• Developed in the 1950’s as an
intravenous anesthetic but was never
approved for use in humans
• Can exhibit great feats of strength b/c
they feel no pain
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.
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”
INHALANTS
• Solvent vapors (Aerosols, gases, and
nitrates) that cause a euphoric effect
• 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”
LEAN
• Intoxicant: Codeine which is
a derivative of morphine
SYNTHETIC DRUGS
• The term “bath salts” refers to an emerging
family of drugs containing one or more
synthetic chemicals Reports of severe
intoxication and dangerous health effects
• http://youtu.be/dA0Qhgmuvrc
• http://youtu.be/kTYNw_2yOkI
DRUGS AND CRIME
 “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.
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
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
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
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
IDENTIFICATION OF DRUGS
PDR—Physicians’ Desk Reference
 used to identify manufactured pills, tablets and capsules
Field Tests—presumptive tests
Laboratory Tests—conclusive tests
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
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
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 —turns blue for cocaine
CHROMATOGRAPHY
A technique for separating
mixtures into their components
Includes two phases—a
mobile one that flows past a
stationary one.
TYPES OF
CHROMATOGRAPHY
 Paper
 Thin Layer (TLC)
 Gas (GC)
 Pyrolysis Gas (PGC)
 Liquid (LC)
 High Pressure Liquid (HPLC)
 Column
PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY
 Stationary phase—paper
 Mobile phase—a liquid solvent
Capillary action moves the
mobile phase through the
stationary phase
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
Phases
Analysis
 Stationary—a solid or a
 Shows a peak that is
viscous liquid that lines a
tube or column
 Mobile—an inert gas like
nitrogen or helium
proportional to the quantity
of the substance present
 Uses retention time
instead of Rf for the
qualitative analysis
USES OF GAS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
 Not considered a confirmation of a controlled
substance
 Used as a separation tool for 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).
CONFIRMATORY TEST
•Performed in a laboratory
•Conclusive results
CONFIRMATORY TEST:
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
• Measures the absorption of light in the ultraviolet
(UV) and infrared (IR) regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
• UV is not conclusive; establishes probable identity
only
• IR can specifically identify a substance, like a
fingerprint
CONFIRMATORY TEST:
MASS SPECTROMETRY
• Sample is exposed to high-energy electrons to
break the sample molecules – no two
compounds fragment in exactly the same way
• Used in conjunction with gas chromatography
(GC/MS)