FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY

ETHYLALCOHOL

TOXICOLOGY

The study of poisons

TOXICOLOGISTS

Detect and identify drugs and poisons in body fluids, tissues,

and organs

ENVIRONMENTALTOXICOLOGISTS

OCCUPATIONALTOXICOLOGISTS

FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS-duties limited to legal issues

• Workplace drug testing

- Postmortem drug testing

Investigation of contraband materials

TOXICOLOGY OF ALCOHOL

A CENTRAL

NERVOUS SYSTEM

DEPRESSANT

90 MILLION AMERICANS DRINK..

10 MILLION HAVE A “DRINKING PROBLEM”

EFFECTS OF ETHYL ALCOHOL

ON THE HUMAN BODY PRINCIPAL EFFECT IS ON THE

FOREBRAIN IS AFFECTED

FIRST

• reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement,• emotions, and problem solving

REAR PORTIONSARE AFFECTED

NEXT

movement, orientation, recognition, perception of stimuli perception and recognition of auditory stimuli,

memory, and speech

… FINALLY THE MEDULLA IS AFFECTED

LOWERS INHIBITIONS

In one study of unplanned

pregnancies in 14-21 year olds,

1/3 of the girls who had

gotten pregnant had been

drinking when they had sex;

91% of them reported that

the sex was unplanned.

Half of all newly-reported AIDS cases are

for young people ages 14-21…

IMPAIRS JUDGEMENT

40% OF TRAFFIC FATALITIES INVOLVE ALCOHOL

LONG-TERM EFFECTS

HEALTHY LIVER

CIRRHOTIC LIVER

JAUNDICED KIDNEYS

ABSORPTION INTO THE BLOODSTREAM

20% OF ALCOHOL

IS ABSORBED INTO THE BLOODSTREAM ACROSS THE WALLS

OF THESTOMACH

80% IS ABSORBEDACROSS THE WALLS

OF THE SMALL INTESTINE

FACTORS THAT AFFECTHOW FASTALCOHOL

IS ABSORBED INTO

THE BLOODSTREAM

TIME TAKEN TO CONSUME

THE DRINK

ALCOHOL CONTENT

OF THE DRINK

TYPE OF ALCOHOL

ABSORBED SLOWLY

ABSORBED FASTER

AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMED

AMOUNT AND TYPE OF FOOD

IN

WEIGHT OF DRINKER

SEX OF DRINKER

ALCOHOL DISTRIBUTESONLY TO WATERY AREAS

ONE DRINK IS EQUAL TO..

ONE

Maximum blood-alcohol concentrations in the blood may not be reached until

after time of consumption

TO

90 MINIS AVERAGE

Under NORMAL

SOCIAL DRINKING conditions

It takes anywhere

from 30 – 90 minutes

from the time of the final drink

until absorption is complete

Since alcohol is distributed through the watery portions

of the body Other organs may

be tested for alcohol

ELIMINATION OF “BURN-OFF” RATE

0.015% - 0.020% w/v per hour (0.015% is .015 g alcohol per 100 ml blood)

1 – 1½ DRINKS PER HOUR

OXIDATION AROUND 95% OF ALCOHOL THAT ENTERS THE BODY IS OXIDIZED IN THE LIVER

Alcohol → acetaldehyde →

acetic acid→

CO2 + H2O

EXCRETION

Is the elimination of alcohol in

UNCHANGED STATE

5%

Blood Alcohol Content

Measuring Breath for BAC Amount of Alcohol EXHALED

is

DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL

to the Concentration of alcohol

in the BLOOD

Two ways to measure alcoholin the body:

INDIRECT METHOD

DIRECT METHOD:

ANATOMY

ARTERIES VEINS

CARRY BLOOD

AWAY FROM THE HEART

CARRY BLOODTO THEHEART

Alcohol travels through the body:

20% of alcohol isAbsorbed from

walls of stomachTo veins

80% passes from walls

of small intestine to Veins to liver

(Small intestine)

In ALVEOLIoxygen enters

the bloodand CO2

leaves it

At 340 CThe ratio of alcohol

in the blood

To alcohol in the alveoli is

2100:1

1 ml of blood

contains the Same amount of alcohol

as 2100 ml alveolar breath

DURING ABSORPTION: CONCENTRATION

OF ALCOHOL

IN ARTERIAL BLOOD

WILL BE

CONSIDERABLY HIGHER

THAN VENOUS BLOOD

(dark red color)

During elimination,

venous blood has higher BAC

THE BREATHALYZER

Measures ALCOHOL CONTENT of ALVEOLAR BREATH

THE BREATHALYZER

INDIRECTLY MEASURES THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMED BY MEASURING THE ABSORPTION OF

LIGHT USING

A SPECTROPHOTOMETER

HOW IT WORKS:

16 H+(aq) + Cr2O72-

(aq) + 3 C2H5OH(l) →

(orange) (alcohol)

4 Cr3+(aq) + 3 CH3COOH(aq) + 11 H2O(l)

(green)

UNUSED ORANGE MIXES WITH

GREEN PRODUCED

TO MAKE A BLUE SOLUTION

In other words….

ORANGE + ALCOHOL → GREEN (Cr2O7

2-(aq))

Little or no alcohol: ORANGE

Some alcohol: BLUE (orange + green ) A lot of alcohol: GREEN or GREENISH BLUE

The HIGHER the concentration of alcohol, the LOWER the concentration of potassium

dichromate (K2Cr2O7)

FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS are performed to find the degree of impairment and whether an evidential test is justified

ALCOHOL GAZE NYSTAGMUS

ALCOHOL GAZE NYSTAGMUS (HORIZONTAL OR VERTICAL)

INVOLUNTARY JERKING OF THE EYEAS EYE MOVES FROM LOOKING STRAIGHT

TO LOOKING UP & DOWN OR LOOKING TO THE SIDE

WALK & TURN TEST

DIVIDED - ATTENTION TASKS

ONE-LEG BALANCE

ANALYSIS OF BLOOD

FOR ALCOHOL

GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY

USED IN FORENSIC LABS

IN HOSPITALS..

A CHEMICAL REACTION

IS CARRIED

OUT IN

THE LAB

COLLECTIONAND

PRESERVATIONOF

BLOOD

NON-ALCOHOLIC DISINFECTANTS

ANTICOAGULANTS

PRESERVATIVES

REFRIGERATION

SEALED AIR-TIGHT

CONTAINERS

ALCOHOL AND THE LAW

BLOOD TOXICATION LEVELS

OVER 21:

UNDER 21

.02 or higher

INCREASED DRIVING

RISK

REFUSE TO TAKE A TESTFOR ALCOHOL INTOXICATION

• AUTOMATIC LOSS OF LICENSE FOR ONE YEAR

• AN ADDITIONAL LOSS OF LICENSE

FOR ONE YEAR IF CONVICTED

IMPLIED CONSENT LAW

PA DUI LAWS

Three tiered system:

Fines, jail time depend on the amount of alcohol in the body (BAC) and if there have been any previous convictions

.08

0.1-0.159

0.16 and up

ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition

• The ARD program consists of the following:• up to 12-month license suspension • community service • restitution • 6-month court supervision • attendance at Alcohol Highway Safety School and its

costs • CRN evaluation • court and administrative costs • treatment and other conditions that a judge may impose

Persons with any prior convictions are not eligible for ARD

HOMICIDE BY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Section 3735 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code• Any person who unintentionally causes the

death of another person as the result of… driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance and who is convicted of violating [the law regarding driving under the influence] is guilty of a felony of the second degree when the violation is the cause of death.

• The penalty is a mandatory sentence of 3-10 years incarceration and consecutive 3-10 year terms for each victim whose death is a result. The fine may be as high as $25,000 per victim.

25% of teen drivers killed in 2003 had ablood alcohol concentration of .08 or greater. A BAC of .08 is the level which all states define drunk driving.

More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year—about 4.65 a day—

as a result of alcohol- related injuries.

Alcohol poisoning most often occurs

as a result of the rapid intake of alcohol, also known as binge drinking. This high amount of alcohol can lead to seizures, choking, an irregular heart beat and even death.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning Confusion

Slow reflexes Unable to communicate effectively Slurring in speech Rapid pulse Feeling sick, vomiting Dehydration Unconsciousness Moist, clammy skin Inability to walk Pale, blue colored skin

What are the Effects of Alcohol Poisoning?

• The effects of alcohol poisoning can be devastating, especially if the drinker becomes unconscious. In fact, numerous deaths have occurred as a result of an unconscious person choking on their own vomit or breathing in vomit. Possible effects of alcohol poisoning include:

• Irregular heart beat • Choking (from vomiting) • Coma • Decrease in body temperature (hypothermia) • Brain damage • Seizure • Strange breathing patterns • Inhalation of vomit causing a halt in breathing patterns

(asphyxiation) • Death

5 Steps to Take if Someone You Know Has Alcohol Poisoning

• Call 911 or a local poison control center if you think someone you know has alcohol poisoning.

• Stay with the person. Never leave a severely intoxicated person alone.

• Turn the person onto their side to prevent choking if vomiting occurs.

• Monitor breathing levels. If you know CPR, be prepared to use this skill in case of an emergency.

• Continually try to revive the person if they are passed out.

EXPUNGEMENT

• is a legal process through which an arrest or conviction may be erased from a person's criminal record.

In Pennsylvania:

Juvenile DUIs

PERSONAL

AND

PROFESSIONAL

CONSEQUENCES

75 % OF EVIDENCE

NOW BEING EVALUATED

IN U.S. CRIME LABS

IS DRUG-RELATED

90% of drugs tested in a toxicology lab