HAIR ANALYSIS TO VERIFY AND TRACK DRUGS AND ALCOHOL INTAKE
Because drug metabolites (their body breakdown products) can become encapsulated within body hair, analysis for these drug residues can provide a useful and accurate assessment of an individual’s intake of drugs over a period of time.
This provides far more information than an ‘on the spot’ test, ie urine or oral fluid, which offers only a snapshot of drug intoxication.
The effect of certain drug metabolites becoming locked into a shaft of hair when it is formed below the scalp means that as the hair grows out, so too does the segment containing any drug metabolites. This takes several months and therefore allows testing to not only determine which drugs were taken, but also indicate approximately when; invaluable information for evidence of sporadic, regular or isolated drug use, as well as evidence of a dose having been administered without consent. Prolonged presence of drug metabolites in hair is also useful in the investigation of suspected delayed reporting of drug administration, eg ‘date rape’.
It can also be usefully deployed to determine an individual’s life style history in pre-employment or insurance health screening.
Advantages of Drugs in Hair Testing:
- greater window of detection
- assessment of regular or sporadic use
- non invasive collection protocols
- differentiates patterns of exposure
- a very stable sample matrix, easy to ship
- allows for identification of a one-off dose – useful for drugs facilitated crime investigations
We Offer:
- comprehensive support for busy professionals looking for a laboratory to take responsibility for delivering accurate scientific evidence for a case.
- secure sample collection and a documented chain of custody
- state of the art analytical techniques
- internationally renowned industry experts
- a dedicated support team for free advice and prompt delivery of reports
Our forensic specialists have many years experience in interpreting analytical results and would be pleased to explain this complex area of toxicology and establish how it might benefit your case.
For further information or to discuss a specific case, or obtain a fee quotation for Legal Aid approval, please telephone 01684 585-282 or e-mail: hairtesting@roarforensics.com
With over 28 years experience in forensic toxicology, Mrs Evans MRSC, CChem, MFSSoc leads our Drugs in Hair Testing Service
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Extracts from our recent seminar on drugs in hair testing can be viewed here.
1. How do drugs get into hair?
2. Advantages of drugs in hair testing
3. When is testing for drugs in hair useful?
4. Interpretation of drugs in hair testing results