READ: Types of Drugs

Introduction

 The drug unit in a forensic lab is charged with the task of identifying controlled substances that are seized by law enforcement officers by conducting a series of tests and observations. Similarly, the toxicology unit tests biological fluids and tissues to determine the presence and concentration of drugs, toxins and alcohol. Together these two units process a large portion of all of the evidence that passes through a crime lab. It is important for a Forensic Investigator to understand how the most common drugs affect the body and the significance of those drugs in an autopsy finding. Also, it is important that an investigator be familiar with the methods in which these drugs are typically used so that no pieces of evidence such as paraphernalia of drug use are missed.

Essential Questions

1. What is the role of the toxicologist in a forensic investigation?

2. How are drugs analyzed in a forensic laboratory and what do the results mean?

3. What laws govern the use and distribution of drugs?

4. How is alcohol metabolized in the body?

5. What is the legal limit of alcohol?

6. What the are classifications and names of the drugs most commonly abused?

Module Minute

Toxicology is the study of poisons and how they affect the body. A toxicologist's role is to detect and analyze chemicals found at crime scenes and within bodies to aid an investigation and provide further evidence. Often the toxins found in a body are prescription or illegal drugs and alcohol. An important part of toxicology testing is to determine the identity and amount of toxins in the body. The toxicology report includes information that is an integral part of the autopsy report and is particularly useful in cases of sudden unexplained death. Toxicology testing is also used to determine if a law has been broken as in the case with drunk driving. Finally, alcohol is metabolized by the liver which accounts for the large amounts of liver disease in people with higher average alcohol consumption. This would be an important finding in an autopsy report where an overdose is suspected.

Georgia Virtual, Forensic Toxicology, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0