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 illicit drugs.

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.

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:

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

• Hash oil can contain up to 50%

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 DRUGSDepressants:

• 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 DRUGSStimulants:

• 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.

• 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.

• Anslinger led the campaign to demonize marijuana.

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:

• 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-after-drugs/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

HEROINChronic 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 TESTScreening 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 CHROMATOGRAPHYPhases

Stationary—a solid or a

viscous liquid that lines a

tube or column

Mobile—an inert gas like

nitrogen or helium

Analysis

Shows a peak that is

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)