Illicit Drugs Overview

Drug

a natural or synthetic substance that is designed to produce a specific set of psychological and/or physiological effects on the human body or animals

Illicit

forbidden by law, rules, or custom

Drug abuse

when a drug is consumed for purposes other than what intended for, usually psychoactive effects

1906: Pure Food and Drug Act

Did not allow states to transfer drugs across state lines that were mislabeled/adultured

1914: Harrison Act

Regulated the sale of opium and cocaine

1930: Bureau of Narcotics

Enforced taxes on imported drugs

1956: Narcotic Drug Control Act

Increased penalties on drugs

1970: Comprehensive Controlled Substance Act

Uniform Controlled Substances Act - state level control of illicit substances

Pharmacological effects

Factors used by FDA to evaluate how to schedule/classify illicit drugs

Ability to produce psychological dependence and physical addiction

Factors used by FDA to evaluate how to schedule/classify illicit drugs

A legitimate medical use for the substance

Factors used by FDA to evaluate how to schedule/classify illicit drugs

Five Schedules

based on potential for abuse, pharmacology, and medical use

Naturally Occurring

found in nature in plants (marijuana, shrooms)

Plant Extracts

naturally occurring, but needs to be extracted (cocaine)

Semi-Synthetic

derived chemically from a natural substance (LSD)

Synthetic

totally man-made (ecstasy)

Stimulants

elevate one's mood

Depressants

de-elevate one's mood

Narcotic

relieves pain

Hallucinogen

alters mind

Forensic Toxicology

study of harmful effects of drugs

Postmortem Toxicology

analysis of biological samples after death to identify poisons and determine their amounts

Human Performance

evaluation of drug effects on athletes and others

Doping Control

monitoring for drug use in sports

Workplace Drug Screening

testing employees for drug use

Toxicology

study of harmful effects of drugs

Pharmacology

study of how drugs enter the body and how distributed and eliminated

Poison

substance that causes illness or death of a living organism (toxic effect)

Pharmacokinetics

what happens to the drug by the organism - how it moves in and out of the body

Pharmacodynamics

what happens to the organism when a drug is taken

Absorbance

how drugs are introduced to the body; passage of drugs through tissue into bloodstream

Alcohol (Oral)

into stomach and then absorbed mostly in the upper part of the small intestine

Alcohol (In bloodstream)

into the brain, can then affect the nervous system

Distribution

anywhere there is blood, which is everywhere

Concentration of drug

is not the same; more blood = more drug; depends on chemical and physical properties

Higher concentration

in brain, heart, liver

Alcohol distribution

to all parts of the body in approximate proportion to the water content of each part

Metabolism

effect of the liver on the drug

Alcohol metabolism rate

90% of alcohol is metabolized at 0.015% per hour

Excretion/Elimination

Primarily through urine - water soluble metabolites; exhales, sweat, bile, breast milk; control of the liver and kidneys

Addiction

psychological dependence of a drug

Dependence

physical need for the drug to function - failure to provide drug causes withdrawal

Synergism

total effect on the body of 2+ drugs taken together is greater than taken separately

Tolerance

body's organ systems adapt to a drug, need more of the drug for the same level of effect

Screening Test

Alcohol - field sobriety (walking line, saying alphabet backwards, etc.) & portable breath test

Confirmatory Test (Alcohol)

Breath Test Instrument (BRAC); living person at the police station

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

postmortem; GCMS - headspace

Confirmatory Test (Drugs)

Mass Spectrometry - coupled with GC or LC depending on the drug

Combustion Reaction

fuel (flammable objects/substances) and oxygen produces carbon dioxide, water, and energy

Exothermic Reaction

releases energy

Flash Point

lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapors to form an ignitable mixture with air

Rich vs. Lean

Smoke occurs when there is an incomplete combustion in a fire - 'fuel rich'

Flashover/Backdraft

occurs when the fire burns with a limited supply of oxygen and then is suddenly ventilated, resulting in an explosive fire

Types of Fires

Natural, Accidental, Deliberate/Incendiary

Ignition Types

Self-ignition, Direct ignition, Electrical, Weather-related, Mechanical

Arson

A deliberate/incendiary fire that was set with criminal intent

Paint

A substance composed of three main components: binder, pigment, and vehicle.

Binder

Allows paint to be distributed across a surface.

Pigment

Color component of paint, which can be organic and/or inorganic.

Vehicle

Forms a continuous film binding pigment to the surface, consisting of solvents, resins, and additives.

Solvents

Evaporate after application, leaving a hard polymer on the surface.

Architectural Paints

Household paints.

Product Coatings

Manufacturing process and automobile paints.

Pretreatment/Electrocoat

Zinc pretreatment that provides corrosion resistance.

Primer

Provides corrosion resistance, pigment, and a smooth surface for the next layer.

Topcoat/Basecoat

The layer that provides color.

Clearcoat

Provides UV protection.

Paint Chips/Flakes

Evidence indicating that layers are present, considered most important.

Paint Smears

Evidence from the top layer, often from a sideswipe.

Special-Purpose Paints

Paints that serve functions beyond protection and aesthetics.

Art Paints

Paints used for artistic purposes, relevant in authentication and forgery cases.

Collection of Paint Evidence

The process of comparing a known paint source with an unknown sample.

Physical Properties Examination

Involves assessing layer sequence, thickness/ratio of layers, and color of layers.

Chemical Properties Examination

Involves assessing solubility and components of paint.

Pyrolysis-GC

Used for analyzing the entire paint chip.

Infrared Microspectrophotometry

Analyzes organic compounds of each paint layer.

Soil

Contains both organic (humus) and inorganic (minerals) substances.

Forensic Geologist

A professional who associates soil from a crime scene to a source and compares samples.

Class Evidence

Evidence that is considered circumstantial.

Area of collection

Depth & width

Representative sample

Homogenized sample

Physical Properties

Characteristics such as particle size, distribution, color, and mineral identification

Particle size

The dimension of individual particles in a sample

Particle distribution

The arrangement of particles within a sample

Color

The visual appearance of a sample based on light absorption and reflection

Mineral identification

The process of determining the minerals present in a sample

Chemical Properties

Characteristics that define the chemical composition of a sample

SEM/EDS

Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy - used to analyze elements

HPLC-UV-Vis

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet-Visible detection - used for profiling organic substances

Infrared

A technique useful for obtaining spectra of organic and inorganic soil components

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

An instrumental analysis method to look at tiny particles and determine elemental composition

Glass manufacturing

The process of creating glass products such as sheet glass, container glass, and glass fibers

Fracture match

A method of matching broken glass pieces based on their edges

Radial Lines

Fractures that spread out from the impact point

Concentric Lines

Circles that form around the impact point on glass

Wallner Lines

Marks on the inside edge of glass that indicate stress

Becke Line Method

A technique that requires knowledge of temperature, refractive index of oil, and a single known wavelength

Elemental Composition

The makeup of a material in terms of its elements

Amorphous solid

A solid that lacks a defined crystalline structure

Silicon Oxides

Compounds made of silicon and oxygen, commonly found in glass