Transcript forensic science - McEachern High School

FORENSIC SCIENCE
Toxicology
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Forensic File #2
 What
does a forensic toxicologist help
determine (2 things) ??
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Forensic File #2
 What
does a forensic toxicologist help
determine?
 The cause and effect relationships between
exposure to a drug or substance
 The toxic or lethal effects from exposure
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Today’s Assignments
 Due
today- Intro to Toxicology webquest
 Over
the next two days: Get both sets of
notes from MHS website
 Labs: Spot test, Urine analysis, Drugs and
Money
 Review: Spectroscopy analysis
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What is a drug?
A
natural or synthetic substance that is used
to produce physiological effects in humans
or other higher order animals
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What is a controlled substance?
 All
drugs covered by law that are somehow
restricted.
 There are 5 categories of controlled drugs:
• Hallucinogens
• Stimulants
• Narcotics (analgesics)
• Depressants
• Steroids
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Hallucinogens
 What
are they? Substances that induces
change in mood, attitude, thoughts or
perceptions
 Examples: most popular is marijuana,
others include PCP & LSD, Psilocybin
(“magic mushrooms”), Ecstasy, ketamine
 The effect and intensity of response to these
drugs varies from person to person
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Hallucinogens
 Often
derived from plants, hallucinogens
affect the user’s perceptions, thinking, selfawareness and emotions
 Effects of an overdose can include:
increased heart rate, increased blood
pressure, panic attack, anxiety, psychosis
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 The
Hallucinogens
most widely used illicit drug in the U.S.
is marijuana which is a preparation of the
plant Cannabis. It consists of crushed leaves
mixed with flowers, stem and seeds. The
plant secretes a sticky resin known as
hashish.
 The active ingredient is
tetrahydrocannabinol, which is known as
THC.
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Hallucinogens
 The
THC content varies in differnet parts of
the plant. The stem, root and seeds have low
THC content.
 Pakistani and Afghan resin comes in hard,
brittle blocks and have approximately 3.5%
THC
 Cannabis oil concentrated liquid resin form
which looks like motor oil has 20-65% THC
content
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Halllucinogens:



LSD: causes visual & auditory hallucinations, can cause
psychosis, flashbacks, impaired memory and possible teratogen
(causes birth defects)
PCP (phencyclidine): insensitivity to pain, rage, memory loss &
paranoia
Ketamine (special K): animal tranquilizer can cause delirium,
amnesia, depression & long-term memory problems
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Narcotics
 Analgesic
or pain-killing substance that
depresses vital body functions such as blood
pressure, pulse rate and breathing rate. The
regular administration of narcotics will
produce physical dependence
 Affects the central nervous system
 Narcotics reduce pain and can be very habit
forming
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Narcotics (analgesics)
Examples: morphine & derivative heroin,
methadone, codiene, oxycontin
 Otc: mild analgesics- aspirin, tylenol, motrin
 Overdoses can cause death
 Synthetic narcotics: methadone (heroin substitute
used in rehab), oxycodon (Percocet), fentanyl is
100 times stronger than morphine (spawned series
of designer drugs known as China White)

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Stimulants
A substance taken to increase alertness or activity
 Common stimulants: amphetamine,
methamphetamine, cocaine, crack, nicotine, caffeine
 Stimulants increase feelings of energy and alertness
while suppressing appetite
 As the drug wears off, however, depression often
results
 Effects of an overdose can include: high blood
pressure, agitation, confusion, seizures
 Stimulants tend to be highly addictive

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Stimulants- Amphetamines
 Legal
preparations are white, odorless,
crystalline powders with a bitter taste
 Illegal preparations include fine to coarse
powders, crystals and chunks, most
common colors are off-white, yellow and
pink
 Uppers or bennies
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Stimulants- Street amphetamine
 Illegally
produced amphetamines often have
a strong, unpleasant smell which may be
“fishy” or ammonia-like (cat urine)
 Can be adulterated with sugar, caffeine or
other stimulants
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Stimulants

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Methamphetamine- (speed or crank)more potent than
amphetamine
Ice is made from methylamphetamine hydrochloride
Cocaine- a naturally occurring alkaloid found in the coca plant
(Erythroxylon coca) which grows in high elevations in the
Andes mountains.
Cocaine can enter the body via: smoking, snorting or injecting
The cocaine supplier will neutralize the original product with
baking soda, cooling then produces precipitate cocaine, drying
the precipitate forms a cake which is broken into rocks
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Anabolic Steroids
These drugs are produced in a laboratory and have
a chemical structure similar to testosterone
 Anabolic steroids promote cell growth and tissue
growth increasing bone mass and body muscle
 Because of this, they are popular with weight
lifters, bodybuilders and other athletes
 Side effects include: altered mood, personality
changes, depression, rages, skin breakouts,
elevated blood pressure

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Depressants
Act on central nervous system and increase the
activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA
 Increased GABA production results in drowsiness
and slowed brain activity
 These drugs, consequently, relieve anxiety, calm
irritability and produce sleep
 Mixing depressants with alcohol and other drugs
increases their effects and health risks, possibly
leading to coma and death.

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Depressants
 Common
depressants: alcohol, barbituates,
tranquilizers, glue, quaaludes, librium,
valium
 Most prescribed to help with sleep disorders
(phenobarbital, nembutal & seconal)
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Club Drugs
 This
term refers to synthetic drugs that are
used in nightclubs, bars and raves
 Include ecstasy and roofies
 Unsuspecting victims become drowsy or
dizzy and when combined with alcohol it
can lead to memory loss and blackouts,
hence them being called date rape drugs.
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