Clandestine Laboratories Designer Drugs

Historically, drugs of abuse have come from two sources: plant products and diverted pharmaceuticals. Today, new, totally synthetic drugs produced by clandestine laboratories have become an increasingly important source of abused substances. Of particular concern are the fentanyls, a family of very potent narcotic analgesics, which first appeared on the streets in California in 1979 under the name "China White." At least 10 different analogs have been identified to date and are thought to be responsible for over 100 overdose deaths. The fentanyls are not used by any particular ethic or age group, but rather by the general heroin using population. Their use, however, does seem to be restricted to suburban, rather than urban areas, and almost exclusively to the state of California. The most potent analogs, the 3-methy- and beta-hydroxy-fentanyls, may be up to 1000 times as potent as heroin, but are not chemically related to the opiates and therefore not detected by conventional narcotic screening tests. However, using a sensitive radioimmunoassay highly specific for the fentanyls they can be measured at the very low concentrations observed in body fluids, generally less than 10 ng/mL. It is likely that, as efforts to restrict the importation of natural products and prevent diversion of pharmaceuticals become more effective, the fentanyls and other synthetics will become increasingly important drugs of abuse.

Clandestine lab operators are not the mad scientists whose genius keeps them pent up in the laboratory contemplating elaborate formulas and mixing exotic chemicals. In fact, their equipment is usually simple, their chemicals household products, and their education basic. Most of the time the elements at the scene are perfectly legal to sell and own. It is only in the combination of all these elements that the lab becomes the scene of a criminal operation. Forensic Investigation of Clandestine Laboratories guides you, step-by-step, through the process of recognizing these illegal manufacturing operations. Then it shows you how to prove it in the courtroom. In non-technical language this book details: How to recognize a clandestine lab How to process the site of a clandestine lab How to analyze evidence in the examination laboratory What to derive from the physical evidence How to present the evidence in court The identification and investigation of a clandestine lab, and the successful prosecution of the perpetrators, is a team effort. A collaboration of law enforcement, forensic experts, scientists, and criminal prosecutors is required to present a case that definitively demonstrates how a group of items with legitimate uses are being used to manufacture an illegal controlled substance. Providing an understanding of how the pieces of the clandestine lab puzzle fit together, this book outlines the steps needed to identify and shut down these operations, as well as successfully prosecute the perpetrators.

Clandestine lab operators are not the mad scientists whose genius keeps them pent up in the laboratory contemplating elaborate formulas and mixing exotic chemicals. In fact, their equipment is usually simple, their chemicals household products, and their education basic. Most of the time the elements at the scene are perfectly legal to sell and own

Detection and Identification of Designer Drugs, the latest release in the Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry series, presents both an overview and a guide to techniques for anyone studying or engaging in designer drug analysis. Proliferation of the synthesis and use of designer drugs is a serious public health problem, with social, economic and legal implications. Whether abuse is studied at the population or individual level, researchers need both background and highly detailed technical information on specific drugs and drug classes in order to combat the proliferation and highly damaging consequences of these substances. Author Brian F. Thomas provides a comprehensive discussion that emphasizes the potential threat to society, presents the ongoing challenges confronting the various laboratory approaches to detection and identification of new chemical entities, and informs on the development of improved analytical solutions for use in legislation, law enforcement and treatment. Summarizes available literature and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of analytical methods for detecting and identifying designer drugs Offers authoritative information from author Brian F. Thomas, an expert with over 30 years of experience in the field Directs the reader to sources of further reading at the conclusion of each chapter Emphasizes the potential threat to society Presents ongoing challenges confronting various laboratory approaches to detection and identification of new chemical entities

Clandestine, or illegal, laboratories are operated by the criminal element to circumvent legal requirements with the goal of supplying drugs of abuse to the illicit market. Investigation of clandestine drug manufacturing laboratories is a high priority of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) because elimination of these laboratories will prevent drugs of abuse from reaching the illicit drug traffic. One of the important responsibilities of forensic chemists assisting in investigations of clandestine drug laboratories is to be familiar with the methods of synthesis being used by clandestine laboratory, operators. A review of clandestine laboratory seizures during the period of 1978 through 1981 will be provided to familiarize forensic chemists with current information on the types of laboratories being seized in the United States and the methods of synthesis being used.

This book is intended to serve as quick reference handbook on so-called designer drugs. These new, mainly synthetic compounds are also often referred to as analogues of controlled substances. This new work provides a unique directory of 104 designer drugs. This class of drugs is rapidly growing in variety and number of compounds. Although identification, toxicology and other properties have been thoroughly investigated, their analogues and derivatives remain poorly documented. This book fills the gap. Data which is available is often contradictory and confused. This directory provides a critical treatment of the subject which is thoroughly indexed including both the subject index and an index listing more that 230 street names of the described designer drugs. Divided into two parts; the first section describes aspects of designer drug manufacture, new abuse trends, sources of information and terminology. The second, descriptive part, classifies the drugs into ten main categories according to their chemical structure and prevalent pharmacological action. A separate chapter is devoted to each category, followed by a set of corresponding data sheets, street names and eventual synonyms, Toxicological data, short notes on the history of drugs as well as the most pertinent bibliographic references are included.