Drugs
 Overview
 Dependence and Criminal Activity
 Types / Classification
 Methods of Forensic Identification
 Collection and Preservation of Evidence
Drug Defined
 a natural or synthetic substance
 produces physiological /psychological effects
 in humans / animals
Reasons for Drug Use Today
 Sustain / prolong life
 Escape life’s pressures
 Enhance performance
 Engage in spiritual experiences
 End life
How many drugs can you name?
Drug Facts
 90 million regularly drink
alcohol; 10 million are
addicted
 23 million use illicit drugs
 More than 75% of evidence
processed by crime labs
Illegal or Illicit Drugs?
 Illegal drug = drug that is against the law to
have, use or distribute
 Illicit drug = a legal drug used in an
inappropriate or illegal way
Drug Dependence
 Sustaining/Prolonging Life
 Physical Dependence
 Psychological Dependence
Physical Dependence
 Substances:
 Alcohol, narcotics, depressants
 Requires prolonged, routine daily doses
 Avoiding withdrawal drives dependence
 Withdrawal:
 Severe physical illness: chills, vomiting, stomach
cramps, possible death
Psychological Dependence
 Many drugs (see Table Handout)
 Hard to define / predict
 Withdrawal: headaches, tremors, etc.
Societal Impact of Drugs
a Balance between individual and society
Individual
Society
Personal health
Public health
Family obligations
Societal obligations
Economic wellbeing
Economic impacts
Personal safety
Public safety
Pablo
Escobar
Drug-Control Laws
 Careful analysis for type, weight, concentration
 Controlled Substance Act (1970) – legal drug
classification
DEA
CSA
Routes of Entry
 Ingestion
 Inhalation
 Injection
 absorption
Types of Drugs
 Narcotics - CNS depressants
 Hallucinogens - altered awareness
 Stimulants - increased energy, alertness
 Depressants: ease anxiety, induce sleep
 Anabolic steroids: promote cell and tissue growth
Narcotics: CNS depressants
 Analgesics aka pain killers
 Opiates:

morphine, heroin, codeine, methadone,
 Synthetic opiates:

oxycodone, vicodin,
 Psychological and physiologically addictive
 Act on opiate receptors in limbic system, brainstem and
spinal cord
Hallucinogens: altered awareness
 Changes in thought, perception and mood
 from plants:
 Marijuana, LSD, mescaline
 Synthetic
 PCP, MDMA
 Possibly psychological not physiologically addictive
 May act on serotonin (neurotransmitter) receptors in
the cortex, disrupting integration
Stimulants: increased energy, alertness
 Stimulates CNS activity
 include:
 Amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, nicotine,
caffeine
 Psychological not physiologically addictive
 Act as key brain neurotransmitters dopamine and
norepinephrine
Depressants: ease anxiety, induce sleep
• Depresses CNS activity
• include:
– Barbituates,
benzodiazepines, alcohol
– Antipsychotic drugs,
antianxiety drugs
• Psychological and
physiologically addictive
• Increases brain
neurotransmitter activity
of GABA
Anabolic steroids
 Stimulates cell and tissue
growth
 Psychological not
physiologically addictive
 Act similarly to male sex
hormone - testosterone
Figure 49.6a
Nerve Biology 101
CNS
PNS
Neuron
VENTRICLE
Cilia
Astrocyte
Oligodendrocyte
Schwann cell
Microglial cell
Capillary
Ependymal cell
Figure 48.4
Dendrites
Stimulus
Nerve Biology 102
Axon hillock
Nucleus
Cell
body
Presynaptic
cell
Axon
Signal
direction
Synapse
Neurotransmitter
Synaptic terminals
Postsynaptic cell
Synaptic
terminals
Figure 49.23
Nerves on Drugs, Biology 103
Nicotine
Inhibitory neuron
stimulates
dopaminereleasing
VTA neuron.
Dopaminereleasing
VTA neuron
Opium and heroin
decrease activity
of inhibitory
neuron.
Cocaine and
amphetamines
block removal
of dopamine
from synaptic
cleft.
Cerebral
neuron of
reward
pathway
Reward
system
response
Figure 48.15
Presynaptic
cell
Postsynaptic cell
Axon
Synaptic vesicle
containing
neurotransmitter
1
Postsynaptic
membrane
Synaptic
cleft
Presynaptic
membrane
3
K
Ca2 2
Voltage-gated
Ca2 channel
Ligand-gated
ion channels
4
Na
Neuronal
Synapse
 Communication
between nerves
 1011 (one hundred billion) neurons
 Each averages 7,000 synaptic connections to other
neurons
 about 1015 synapses (1 quadrillion) in human brain
Figure 48.16
Synaptic
terminals
of presynaptic
neurons
5 m
Postsynaptic
neuron
Drug Identification
 Screening / Presumptive Tests –
 quick, easy, cheap
 Types


Spot / color tests
Microcrystalline tests
 Chromatography
 Confirmatory Tests –
 Definitive
 Types


Spectrophotometry (UV, visible, IR)
Mass Spectroscopy
Presumptive Color Tests
 Marquis Test–
 Purple  opiates
 Orange brown  amphetamines
 Dille-Koppanyl Test
 Violet blue  barbiturates
 Duquenois-Levine Test –
heroin
 Purple  marihuana
 Van Urk Test
 Blue-purple  LSD
 Scott Test
 Blue  cocaine
methamphetamine
Microcrystalline Tests
 Chemical reagent added to substance on microscope
slide
 Size and shape of crystals characteristic for certain
drugs
methamphetamine
Physicians Desk Reference
Used to identify manufactured
 Pills, tablets, capsules
 Updated yearly
 Information


Picture
Drug Status
 Over the counter,
 Prescription, or
 Controlled substance
Chromatography
 Separates substances in a
mixture
 mobile and stationary
phases
 Types
 Paper
 Thin Layer (TLC)
 Gas (GC)
Paper Chromatography
 Stationary phase – paper
 Mobile Phase – liquid
solvent
 Capillary action draws
solvent and dissolved
substance through the
stationary phase (paper)
Thin Layer Chromatography
 Stationary phase – silica
coating on glass
 Mobile Phase – liquid
solvent
 Capillary action draws
solvent and dissolved
substance through the
stationary phase (paper)
Retention Factor Rf
 Rf = Dc / Ds
 If two Rf ’s are close,
substances are similar
or a match
Ds
Dc
Gas Chromatography
 Stationary phase – solid or
viscous liquid
 Mobile Phase – inert gas
(He, Ne)
 Uses retention time not Rf
 Shows peak proportional
to quantity present
Confirmatory Tests
 Identify compounds in Drug Evidence
 Tests
 Spectrophotometry
 Spectroscopy
Spectrophotometry
 UV-visible and IR can be used to analyze
unknown substances
 Substances absorb, reflect or transmit a
specific pattern of wavelengths of light
 The pattern can be used to ID/quantify
unknown substances
UV-visible Spectrophotometry
 UV-visible light can be
used to identify
unknown substances
 Identification is not
always exact; other
substances can have
similar patterns
Infrared Spectrophotometry
 IR light can be used to identify unknown substances
 Absorption pattern is more copmlex
 Identification is “chemical fingerprint”
Mass Spectroscopy
 Substance
bombarded with
high energy
electrons
 Substance ionizes
and breaks into
smaller fragments
 Fragments separate
by mass
 Fragment pattern is
unique to substance
Human Samples for Drug Analysis
• Blood
• Urine
• Hair
• Stomach contents
• Brain Tissue
• Kidney tissue
• Spleen tissue
Evidence Collection and Preservation
 Prevent loss, cross contamination
 Include


Background information
Screening test results