Which substances can hair testing detect? The short answer is: almost anything. The longer answer is – as always – somewhat more nuanced. While it is true that any ingested substance that makes its way into the bloodstream will be subsequently detectable on hair fibres, this casts a very wide net indeed – and it’s getting wider all the time.
As such, the parameters for hair testing can be set as narrowly or as extensively as required. Although a hair test could detect the use of antibiotics or legal supplements, the results would have no consequence in the family courts.
Bạn đang xem: Which substances can hair testing detect?
Setting parameters for detection and prosecution should be guided by the discretion of the lawyer and professionalism of the laboratory, to capture a substance profile that is both accurate and meaningful.
Are there any drugs that hair testing can’t detect?
As all drugs have a different chemical makeup, the ease and technique of detection will naturally vary from substance to substance.
Xem thêm : How Many Carbs Are in a Single Serving of Couscous?
For example, cocaine has a relatively low detection cut-off, and the toxicological process of detecting some drugs is more complicated than others. Similarly, if levels of ingestion are extremely low, detection can be more difficult, sometimes requiring other evidential factors to build an accurate case picture. Acidic drugs such as THC carboxylic acid – produced by the metabolism of THC – do not bind as firmly to the hair fibres, requiring a greater sensitivity of instrument to detect.
Lastly, hair testing generally focuses on the detection of substances that have been ingested, rather than inhaled. Currently, hair tests for substances such as solvents, or nitrous oxide (laughing gas) are not routinely performed by laboratories – although that is not to say they will not be in the future.
What types of drugs do courts commonly need accredited labs to test for?
- Benzoylecgonine, Cocaine, Cocaethylene, Norcocaine: According to Statistics on Drug Misuse 2016, cocaine is the second most prevalent stimulant in the UK, with men three times more likely than women to use it.
- 6-Acetylmorphine, Codeine, Dihydrocodeine, Morphine, Heroin: Opiates are by far the largest drug group likely to result in contact with drug and alcohol services. In the UK, more than 32,000 people are addicted to over the counter codeine.
- Methadone, EDDP: The mother and ex-partner of 4-year-old Poppy Widdison were jailed for a combined 13 years after hair tests revealed she had ingested a mixture of drugs – including methadone – prior to her death.
- Tramadol, Desmethyl Tramadol: A commonly prescribed painkiller, in the UK Tramadol kills more people than heroin.
- Amphetamine: In the UK, deaths resulting from amphetamine use continue to increase.
- Diazepam, Nordiazepam, Lorazepam, Nitrazepam, Oxazepam, Temazepam: Hair tests on 9-year-old Shannon Matthews in 2008 discovered she had ingested temazepam and travel sickness tablets in the months leading up to her faked abduction.
- THC, Cannabinol, Cannabidiol, THC-Carboxylic Acid (THC-COOH): Just under a third of the UK population has used cannabis at some point, with vulnerable young people and pupils more likely to use it than any other drug.
- Mephedrone: In January 2017, two men were jailed for sexual exploitation and supplying mephedrone to children under 16.
- Methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, MDEA, MBDB: Commonly known as ecstasy – according to the European Drugs Market Report 2016, use of MDMA is making a comeback.
- Ketamine, Norketamine: A student survey showed a significant rise in young people using ketamine in 2016.
- ETG, FAEE (Ethyl-Myristate, Ethyl-Oleate, Ethyl-Stearate, Ethyl-Palmitate): Alcohol is involved in around 350,000 cases of domestic violence.
The rise, fall – and rise again – of legal highs
Xem thêm : ¿Cuáles son los signos de un aborto incompleto?
In May 2016, the UK government introduced a blanket ban on so-called ‘legal highs’. These substances mimicked the effects of illegal drugs but escaped anti-drug laws through subtle tweaks to the recipes at a molecular level.
Naturally, their unregulated use and harmful side effects present a concern for law enforcement, family lawyers, and protection workers. Almost one year on from the ban, there is increasing evidence across the country that use of legal highs is on the rise, not the decline.
In particular, evidence of widespread, uncontrolled usage in UK prisons illustrates the extent to which legal highs continue to proliferate, with the number of related deaths tripling in the last three years. The problem – for prison officers, lawyers, drug workers, and toxicologists alike – lies in the ever-expanding range of substances being manufactured in unregulated laboratories.
Keeping on top of such an ever-changing market is becoming more and more difficult, and so both lawyers and laboratories have a duty of knowledge regarding the latest substances in circulation. But with sensible parameters and an accredited laboratory to guide and interpret – the effectiveness of hair testing in detecting virtually any substance is second to none.
Our ebook – The complete guide to hair testing for drug & alcohol for Family Law – is available to download now.
Nguồn: https://blogtinhoc.edu.vn
Danh mục: Info