The amount of drug abuse in the United States is at an all time high. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137%, including a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids and heroin (Rudd, Aleshire, Zibbell, & Gladden, 2016). With drug use on the rise, the chance of illegal substances being involved at a crime scene is common.
When potential illegal substances are found at a crime scene, the substance must be tested by a forensic chemist to determine whether it is an illegal drug. A forensic chemist uses scientific findings to help investigators determine whether the material submitted contains an illegal substance; an illegal drug is defined as a substance that causes addiction, habituation, or a marked change in consciousness, has limited or no medical use and is listed on one of the five schedules within the Controlled Substances Act (Rodriguez-Cruz, Lothridge, & Ring). The forensic chemist uses presumptive tests and confirmatory tests to identify which drugs is in a particular specimen. Presumptive tests is when a specimen is subjected to a series of reagents that yield characteristic colors for commonly encountered drugs (Becker & Dutelle, 2013, p. 391). Whereas confirmatory tests use instrumental analysis to positively identify the substance in question (Rodriguez-Cruz, Lothridge, & Ring). Even though both presumptive tests and confirmatory tests are used by forensic chemists, the most effective way to identify drugs is by using confirmatory tests.
One of the most common and preferred type of confirmatory test is the microcrystalline test. The microcrystalline test involves dissolving a small amount of the sample in a solution on a microscope slide and letting the material form crystals. The test reagents chosen to induce development of specific microcrystals with the sample and control are highly specific because the crystals formed are a direct consequence of the reagent choice (Harpner, Powell, & Pijl, 2017). The way substances will crystalize in a specific manner allows forensic chemists to identify components of a sample by viewing the crystals under a light microscope (Harpner, Powell, &
The medicine bootle, under the bed or furnitures, and in all the bags in the house like a handbags or a backpack. 8. Describe one type of test that might be used in forensic drug chemistry and when it might be used. A confirmatory test which helped them get a positive identifycation in the questionization.
If flaws in testing techniques become noticeable and extreme action is not taken to control these issues, society will begin to test the validity of “forensics” as a whole. Referring back to the Motherisk case where a lack of education and professionalism took place, people began to question the science of hair testing and the reliability of investigators, and because of this many cases involving this particular laboratory had to be reevaluated (1). Employees in the Motherisk case were not informed that they were considered expert witnesses in the cases they took part in, and part of their job was to also maintain a bias free work zone, these are crucial mistakes which can lead the way for many wrongful convictions (1). The Motherisk case also demonstrated the importance of judges playing an important role in raising issues of reliability of evidence where people in question simply cannot afford it (1). Prior to final decisions judges should have all the evidence regarding the specimen of hair and the pros and cons of assessing this as a valid science (1). Only the best sciences should ever be considered in the courts. In the courts “hard science” should always be picked rather than a “soft science” because it is scientific proof (1). Hair follicle testing may one day become one of the easiest methods of testing, and will allow
Many different drugs such as street drugs are mixed with a lot of simple household items, such as sugar, starch or quinine. The forensic scientist must be able to tell the difference between the substances. Many court cases that involve drugs rely exclusively on the forensic scientists findings. They must be able to prove that the substance found was actually a drug and not say a package of sugar or another legal
The lab analysts must take extensive precautions in preventing any type of contamination because samples are limited and repeating tests is costly. At this time, the medical examiner and crime scene team are put under high pressure and must be diligent and focused when in the laboratory (Dale and Becker 139) (Roberts 48). Since errors happen because of humans and not the machines (Bertino 143). To prevent lab error, detailed guidelines for Quality Control and Quality Assurance are updated regularly (National Research Council 37). In many cases, there is an abundance of evidence that is collected and requires examination. To process all the evidence in a timely manner the forensic scientists are specialized and only process one piece in the
Thin layer chromatography is the separation of substances using different solvents that run up the TLC plate to find different materials and colors in the sample. Three solvents in this test were one hundred percent acetone, one hundred percent isopropyl, and distilled water. In this test we timed the speed of each solvent and recorded the best color content. PACE Introduction Thin Layer Chromatography is a commonly used experiment in forensics, and is the separation of substances using different solvents. What I want to find out is what the fastest solvent is, but keeps the best color on the TLC plate.
The one-child policy in China forces families to only have one child by using harsh treatments such as undocumented children, forced abortions, and fines. The policy affects the elderly, economy, education levels, personality of children and the value of girls in China. Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese leader, created the one-child policy in 1979 in order to limit population growth of the Han Chinese. The policy takes away couples’ rights to have more than one child. Why does the government have to issue such harsh punishments to the breakers of the policy?
Forensic labs are often called into action when police need the identity of an unknown substance to be identified as it could be an illicit drug. There are two major types of tests that can be performed. One is presumptive tests, which indicate the type of substance used, and the other is a confirmatory test, which actually determines the identity of a substance (Watson, 2008).
Some of the vital components of an attractive candidate for forensic chemistry are a strong background in
Prescription drug abuse is an ongoing problem in rural teens. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that 13% of teens between the ages of 12-17 have experimented with nonmedical prescription drugs at some point in their lives. Researchers have identified several factors linked with nonmedical prescription drug use such as their school enrollment status, history of depression, and a two parent household presence (Gever, 2010).
Prescription drug abuse is the use of prescription drugs in the incorrect manner, whether it’s taking a larger dose, taking someone else’s drugs, injecting or snorting them, or simply using them to get high. The three types of drugs that are most abused are opioid painkillers, sedatives or anti-anxiety medication and simulants. Opioids are the most commonly used simply because they are easy to obtain. One of the seven deadly sins is pleasure without conscience. The abuse of prescription drugs is a direct reflection of this teaching. People destroy their bodies, life and relationships around them. Too many people are dying and abusing prescription drugs each year; creating informative programs in and out of school
Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder which produces compulsive drug seeking and use. The abuse of drugs leads to changes in the function and structure of the brain. Consuming chemical substances to achieve pleasure or euphoria The most commonly abused classes of prescription drugs according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse include opioids used for chronic pain; central nervous system (CNS) depressants used in anxiety and sleep disorder treatments; and stimulants, such as amphetamine among others, utilized to treat attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy.[4]
One of the most misused type of drugs in the US is the misuse and abuse of Prescription Drugs. It is estimated that 52 million people in the US have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons at least once in their lifetimes. Out of those people 20 percent of them were aged 12 and older. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) did a survey in the year 2010 that found that 1 in 12 high school seniors reported past-year nonmedical use of the prescription pain reliever Vicodin and a 1 in 20 reported abusing OxyContin. It is now 2017 less than ten years from the initial report and the numbers of high school seniors abusing prescription drugs has doubled.
To illustrate the magnitude of the research problem and provide a frame of reference, this section begins with a brief overview of the increased use of pharmaceuticals and prescription drug abuse in the US. The section continues with the relationship between illicit drugs and prescriptions, adolescents’ abuse, personal and social factors; then concludes with the theoretical approach. The Social-Ecological Theory, will be applied in researching prescription drug abuse, possible influences and protective factors in adolescents in relation to prescription drug abuse, to develop focused intervention strategies and educational programs for this population, similar to other substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.
Gothic novels came into place in the late seventeen hundreds betraying supernatural events, dishonor, death, and disaster. Gothic novels are significant, because it allows people to explore a different world through their own imagination, which condones hidden desires or curiosities. Frankenstein is a fine expression of a gothic novel where Mary Shelly uses different situations to have Victor Frankenstein create a monster “under the cloudy circumstances which victor gathers body parts for his experiments and the use of little known modern technologies for unnatural purposes” (Harcourt 1), being unknown by man for Victors creations in showing suspenseful innovations, reflects on the elements of a gothic novel. Mary Shelly Frankenstein shows how Victor Frankenstein strives for knowledge to go against the laws of nature and natural order. The natural order of a human corps is to be born, lived, aged, and to die then decomposed, but by Victor creating a man like being from human corps, off sets the natural order of mankind.