Forensic Toxicology (2)
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Recreational drug poIsoning
Recreational drug a Drugs commonly considered capable of recreational use Narcotic drugs Psychotropic substances
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Most popular recreational drugs Cannabis Opiates Morphine, codeine, heroin Amphetamines ■ Amphetamine a Methamphetamine Cocaine Ketamine
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Characteristics of recreational drugs a 1. Drug addiction a Drug use can lead to dependence syndrome a An individual withdrawing from intravenous amphetamine use may appear drowsy and have constricted pupils, poor psychomotor performance and injection marks ■2. Drug tolerance Prolonged use also gives rise to drug tolerance, resulting in higher levels of drug intake required to gain the same pleasurable effects
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Mechanism of poisoning a Recreational drugs have psychoactive effect towards the cns Cannabis produces an altered state of consciousness characterized by mild euphoria, relaxation, perceptual alterations including time distortion, enhancement of ordinary sensory experiences, impairment of short- term memory, and impairment of motor skills and reaction time
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Manner of poisoning/death ∪ sually accident Overdose a Taking excessive amounts for maximum pleasure a Drug tolerance urity problem a Body packing syndrome a Synergism with other compounds
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Purity problem Overdose is highly associated with the purity problem Street-level amphetamine and methamphetamine are normally with relatively low purity(e.g. 20% Cocaine often occurs in high purity a In UK, examples with purities ranging from 40% to 80%are not uncommon
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Cutting agents For heroin Sugars, paracetamol and caffeine ■ For cocaine a Sugars such as glucose, mannitol and lactose, caffeine to increase the stimulant properties and/or to mask a reduced drug content, and a Analgesics such as lidocaine, procaine or benzocaine to mimic the analgesic properties of cocaine
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Manner of poisoning/death ∪ sually accident overdose a Taking excessive amounts for maximum pleasure a Drug tolerance Purity problem Body packing syndrome a Synergism with other drugs
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