13: Drugs of Abuse

Legislation around controlled substances and associated offences is introduced in this chapter. The drug classes that are commonly encountered in forensic science laboratories are described. Methods for the analysis, quantification and comparison are highlighted, and the requirement for new methods to be found as drug control legislation develops are articulated. Drug profiling and comparison is considered, and the numerical methods available for the interrogation of data so generated are touched upon briefly. The use of DNA to identify and compare drugs derived from plants and fungi is also explored. Finally, the need for quality assurance in the laboratory is emphasised.