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Tanya Sultan Rana
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CHEM 195 H.
Report- Narcotics
Narcotics
Narcotics are any addictive drugs that affect the mood, behavior, etc; especially the illegal
ones. This term comes from a Greek word stupor which meant variety of substances which
lessen the senses and relieve pain, Brunson (2014). These drugs are in different forms, which are
injected, smoked or sniffed. Drugs are known to relieve stress, anxiety and reduce aggression.
Forensic drug chemistry is the examination of all such substances that are controlled (Sarwar).
Drug chemistry is applied to these illegal substances for the criminal justice system. Chemistry
examines the way the atoms and molecules in the substance bond with one another. This analysis
is done in a way that can be presented in the criminal courts. This whole covers any illegal
substances, toxins, etc.
Talking about narcotics from the forensic chemistry’s point of view, it further depends upon
what actually makes a drug illegal. The illegal drugs are any that cause addiction, change in
mood, behavior, and a person as a whole; they do not have any medical usage. For example;
cocaine, marijuana so on and so forth. For legal proceedings to be taken forward scientific
findings are of great importance; meaning this helps to take action against the suspected criminal
based on the findings. It is under the forensic lab that analyzing and identifying the unknown
powder, liquids and different substances is done. Two categories of tests are used to examine
these drugs; known as the Presumptive and Confirmatory tests.
A drug test is taken through a biological specimen; hair, urine, blood, etc. Presumptive
Testing can be conducted either on the field which is the crime scene or the laboratory settings
for confirmation for the law enforcement agencies which then need to confirm the offender’s
sentence. This test is also known as colourimetric, which means that the colour change indicates
whether the substance is present or not. Depending on the presence in will turn one colour and
depending on the absence, the other. Next are the Confirmatory testing which are more specific
and can identify the substance present. These may be qualitative analysis, meaning the analysts
will separate each compound and decide the chemical characteristics and further compare them
with the referred substance. This establishes whether the material contains one or more illegal
substance. The confirmatory tests may also be quantitative analysis, which confirms the amount
of the illegal substances present.
Narcotics have schedules and vary from Schedule I to Schedule V (Brunson , 2014). Drugs
are classified in different categories which are based on the way a certain drug affects the body.
This is for the law enforcement to help them understand what sort of a drug the individual may
have been taking; this is done by observing the behavior, appearance, etc. Different countries
have different laws regarding drugs but without a doubt drugs are not accepted legal around the
world. From possession of illegal drugs, supply of drugs, production of controlled or illegal
drugs, to import and export different laws are present and an individual is proven guilty they may
have to undergo serious consequences, and sentence. Police is also given the power to search and
question anyone they suspect.
In short, narcotics are not something you would want to be dependent upon. If abused, they
can not only destroy your health but also can get you into a whole lot of trouble with the police
and courts. Moreover, relying upon the prescribed medicines such as the relaxants can make life
uneasy. It is highly important to stay healthy and stay away of all these bad addictions.
Reference
Dr. Mohammad Sarwar, Forensic Drug Chemistry, Drug Awareness.
http://pja.gov.pk/system/files/DRUG_AWARENESS_FORENSIC_DRUG_CHEMISTRY.pdf
Dyquavious Brunson, (2014), Forensic Science Narcotics.
https://prezi.com/fhbsscijohmy/forensic-science-narcotics/
A Simplified Guide to Forensic Drug Chemistry.
http://www.forensicsciencesimplified.org/drugs/principles.html
Stephanie Watson, How Forensic Lab Techniques Work.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/forensic-lab-technique2.htm
http://www.urban75.org/legal/drugs.html