New analysis provides potential for extra correct methamphetamine detection

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that may be taken as a leisure drug, both by injections or smoking. It is classed as a Class A drug within the UK and its leisure use is criminalized in lots of international locations all through the world.

This contains New Zealand, the place the examine notes that many considerations have been raised over the presence of methamphetamine contamination in households. One barrier for law enforcement in tackling methamphetamine is a problem in detecting low concentrations of methamphetamine residues on surfaces, stymieing any forensic investigation.

A brand new paper, printed in Forensic Science International, goals to handle this subject by analyzing the contamination ranges on family surfaces ensuing from smoked methamphetamine. Former MSc Forensic Science pupil Salomé Nicolle performed a key function within the experiments as a part of the course. Working in New Zealand with colleagues on the ESR, Salomé carried out smoking simulations on completely different family surfaces together with acrylic, metallic, plaster, tile, and wooden surfaces.

Results discovered that acrylic surfaces retained probably the most methamphetamine, whereas tile surfaces retained the least. Through these outcomes, the authors have been capable of exhibit that methamphetamine retention was depending on the fabric of the surfaces. The knowledge additionally confirmed a correlation between the quantity of methamphetamine smoked and the residue detected.

Combining an understanding of floor retention of methamphetamine residue and its correlation with smoking may present a extra correct foundation for figuring out and calculating how a lot methamphetamine was smoked from floor residue.

Forensic evaluation methods employed within the examine have been capable of detect residues in a variety, with the minimal contamination detection stage virtually 4 instances decrease than in earlier research. This signifies that much less smokes are wanted to establish methamphetamine consumption in a room based mostly on the residue left behind.

In addition to methamphetamine detection, the authors have been capable of detect the amount of amphetamine—a by-product from smoking. Though the correlation weakens at decrease concentrations, Nicolle hopes this could possibly be the idea of future analysis analyzing amphetamine residues as a way for detecting each methamphetamine consumption and manufacturing.

“I hope our results have opened a path for more accurate detection of methamphetamine levels and better knowledge of surface type retention. I also hope our research can be a starting point for looking into the correlation between methamphetamine and amphetamine in more detail,” says Nicolle.