NARCOTIC DRUGS

• Dangerous Drugs
• Laws Governing Dangerous Drugs
• Classification of different dangerous drugs
 INTRODUCTION
 A drug can be defined as a natural or synthetic
substance that is used to produce physiological or
psychological effects in humans or other higher order
animals.

 Narcotic drugs are analgesics, meaning they relieve

pain by a depressing action on the central nervous
system. It is a drug capable of causing narcosis or
depressing effect on the body. It induces sleep or
insensibility by action on the nerve center.
 INTRODUCTION
 The regular use of a narcotic drug will invariably lead
to physical dependence.

 The most common source for these narcotic drugs is

opium, extracted from poppies.
 DANGEROUS DRUGS
PROHIBITED DRUGS REGULARTED DRUGS
 Opium  Self inducing sedatives

 Heroine  Secobabital

 Morphine  Phenobarbital

 Coca leaf and its derivatives  Hypnotic drugs

 LSD  Etc.

 Indian hemp
 Etc.
 LAWS GOVERNING
DANGEROUS DRUGS
 1972 the Dangerous Drug Act, RA 6425 was
enacted and approved.

 The laws on Dangerous Drugs are found in Article II

and Article III of the R.A. 6425 known as the
Dangerous Drug Act of 1972 as amended.
 Article II
PROHIBITED DRUGS
 SEC.3 importation of Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.4. Sale, Administration, Delivery, Distribution and transportation of
Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.5. Maintenance of a den, Dive or Resort for Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.6. Employers and Visitors of Prohibited Drug Den
 SEC.7. Manufacture of Prohibited Drug
 SEC.8. Possession or Use of Prohibited Drug
 SEC.9. Cultivation of Plants which are source of Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.10. Records, Prescription, sales and Purchase of Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.11 Unlawful Prescription of Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.12. Unnecessary prescription of Prohibited Drugs
 SEC.13 Possession of Opium pipe and other Praraphernalis of Prohibited
Drugs
 Article III
REGULATED DRUGS
 SEC.14. Importation of Regulated Drugs
 SEC.15. Sales, Administration, Dispensation, delivery
transportation and distribution of Regulated Drugs
 SEC.16. Possession or Use of Regulated Drugs
 SEC.17. Record of Prescription, Sales , Purchases
Acqusition of Regulated Drugs
 SEC.18. Unlawful prescription of Regulated Drugs
 SEC.19. Unnecessary Prescription of Regulated Drugs
 OPIUM
 The dried latex obtain from seedpod of Opium poppy
Papaver somniferum Linne
 The Poppy plant is an annual herb and must be
cultivated.
 Street names : Buddha, Chinese molasses, Chinese
Tobacco
 Earliest record was as early as 3 B.C

 Indeginous to Asia Minor, and widely grown in

China, India, Turkey, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria

and Iran.
 MORPHINE
 Crystalline substance known as “salt of opium”
 Morphine is readily extracted from opium and is used
to synthesize heroin.
– Therapeutic use of morphine are:
1. To relieve pain.
2. Useful in checking diarrhea
3. Valuable in treatment of dry, non-productive coughs
4. Excellent for pre- operative medication.
5. Reduce blood pressure and bleeding.
6. Useful hypnotic when pain interferes with ability to sleep
 Morphine and Opium Addicts
 Opium Addicts – are usually quieter , more apt to be
lethargic, slow and dreamy and are rarely as
impulsive and quick in their behaviour.
 Morphine addicts – the individual is lethargic, the
skin is sallow and pallorous. They complain often of
being cold, and there is frequently a subnormal
temperature. Addicts show bodily neglect and are
careless in their dress
 HEROIN
 Prepared by heating morphine with acetic anhydride
or acetyl chloride.
 Five times as potent as morphine but produces a
most vicious addiction.
 Heroin produces a “high” that is accompanied by
drowsiness and a sense of well-being that generally
last for three to four hours.
 Addicts frequently dissolve heroin in water by
heating it in a spoon, and then inject in the skin.
What does it look like?
 COCAINE AND CRACK COCAINE

COCAINE CRACK COCAINE

 What do they look like:  What do they look like:
– Crystalline powder – White, off-white crystalline rocks
 How taken:  How taken:
– Orally, snorted, inhaled or injected – Inhaled from pipe, but sometimes
injected
EFFECTS: increase heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, thoughts and activity levels. It also
lifts mood and gives a sense of energy and well being.
 OPIATES
 Codeine is also present in opium, but it is usually
prepared synthetically from morphine.
 OPIATES
 OxyContin is prescribed to a million patients for
treatment of chronic pain.

 Methadone is another well-known synthetic opiate.

 Methadone, which is pharmacologically related to

heroin, appears to eliminate the addict’s desire for
heroin while producing minimal side effects.
What does it look like?
 HALLUCINOGENS
 Another class of drugs is hallucinogens; marijuana is
the most well-known member of this class.

 Hallucinogens cause marked changes in normal

thought processes, perceptions, and moods.

 Marijuana is the most controversial drug in this class

because its long-term effects on health are still
largely unknown.
 MARIJUANA
 Marijuana refers to a preparation derived from the
plant Cannabis.
 The chemical substance largely responsible for the
hallucinogenic properties of marijuana is known as
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
 The THC content of Cannabis varies in different
parts of the plant, generally decreasing in the
following sequence: resin, flowers, leaves, with little
THC in the stem, roots or seeds.
 Marijuana is either smoked or taken orally but the
most prevalent method used is smoking.
 MARIJUANA
 The THC-rich resin is known as hashish.
 Marijuana does not cause physical dependency, but
the risk of harm is in heavy, long-term use.
MARIJUANA
 HALLUCINOGENS
 Other hallucinogens include LSD, mescaline, PCP,
psilocybin, and MDMA (Ecstasy).

 LSD is synthesized from lysergic acid, and can

cause hallucinations that can last for 12 hours.

 Phencyclidine, or PCP, is often synthesized in

clandestine laboratories and is often smoked,
ingested, sniffed.
What does it look like?
 CLUB DRUGS
 The term club drugs refers to synthetic drugs that are used
at nightclubs, bars, and raves (all-night dance parties).
 Substances that are often used as club drugs include, but
are not limited to, MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB (gamma
hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol (“Roofies”), ketamine, and
methamphetamine.
 GHB and Rohypnol are central nervous system depressants
that are often connected with drug-facilitated sexual assault,
rape, and robbery.
 CLUB DRUGS
 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as
MDMA or Ecstasy, is a synthetic mind-altering drug
that exhibits many hallucinogenic and amphetamine-
like effects.
 Ecstasy enhances self-awareness and decreases
inhibitions, however, seizures, muscle breakdown,
stroke, kidney failure, and cardiovascular system
failure often accompany chronic abuse.
 CLUB DRUGS
 Ketamine is primarily used as a veterinary animal
anesthetic that in humans causes euphoria and
hallucinations.
 Ketamine can also cause impaired motor functions,
high blood pressure, amnesia, and mild respiratory
depression.
 ANABOLIC STEROIDS
 Yet another category of drugs is the anabolic
steroids.

 These are synthetic compounds that are chemically

related to the male sex hormone testosterone.

 Anabolic steroids are often abused by individuals

who are interested in accelerating muscle growth.
 ANABOLIC STEROIDS
 Side effects include unpredictable effects on mood
and personality, depression, diminished sex drive,
halting bone growth, and liver cancer.
 DEPRESSANTS
 These include alcohol (ethanol), barbiturates,
tranquilizers, and various substances that can be
sniffed, such as airplane glue, model cement, or
aerosol gas propellants such as freon.

 Alcohol (ethyl alcohol) enters the body’s bloodstream

and quickly travels to the brain, where it acts to
suppress the brain’s control of thought processes
and muscle coordination.
 DEPRESSANTS
 Barbiturates, or “downers,” are normally taken orally
and create a feeling of well-being, relax the body,
and produce sleep.
 Tranquilizers, unlike barbiturates, produce a relaxing
tranquility without impairment of high-thinking
faculties or inducing sleep.
 Sniffing has immediate effects such as exhilaration,
but impairs judgment and may cause liver, heart,
and brain damage, or even death.
What does it look like?
 STIMULANTS
 The drug classification of stimulants includes
amphetamines, sometimes known as “uppers” or
“speed,” and cocaine, which in its free-base form is
known as crack.
 Stimulants are substances taken to increase alertness
or activity, followed by a decrease in fatigue and a loss
of appetite.
 Amphetamine and methamphetamine, often injected
intravenously, cause an initial “rush,” followed by an
intense feeling of pleasure.
 This is followed by a period of exhaustion and a
prolonged period of depression.
 METHAMPHETAMINE
 Crystal meth, sometimes simply known as ‘meth,’ is a drug
that can addict a person from the first time they try it.
Methamphetamine is completely artificial, created of very
toxic chemicals.
 These chemicals can initially offer a high, but they can also
cause serious harm or even death not only for those who
take the drugs, but for those who make them as well.
 Methamphetamine ingredients can be combined in a wide
variety of formulas, but the basics are the same – and most
of them are highly flammable and extremely lethal if
ingested in any way. The resulting product is just as bad, if
not worse..
 What you need?
METHAMPHETAMINE
 A number of the ingredients commonly used in creating meth are
extremely toxic:
Materials
 How to Cook?
 The equipment for making meth typically uses
common items found in everyone’s home. This might
include glass bottles, cheesecloth, aluminum foil,
oven-safe or heat-safe dishes, rubber tubing, and
other common items.
 Everything can be picked up at a hardware store or
discount store. In addition, most of the chemicals
used in meth are perfectly legal and can even be
acquired in large quantities. That explains the
growing popularity of making meth in the everyday
kitchen.
 How to cook?
 It starts with grinding down the cold medication pills
and adding a binder to them to separate the
pseudoephedrine from the medication.
 Then the medication is mixed with acid and red
phosphorus, bubbled for a while, and then the red
phosphorous is filtered out.
 Next, caustic soda is added to give the meth a
“base,” a process that has to be carefully cooled to
avoid explosion.
 After that, Freon or other chemicals are added to
separate the liquid from the solids.
 How to cook?
 Hydrogen chloride then turns the meth into a salt,
which lowers the acidity. It is then dried on a cloth.
The final product is filled with yet more additives to
make it even more addictive, then it is packaged for
sale and use.
METHAMPHETAMINE
 Side effects of Meth
 Long term use  Observable physical
– Weight loss effects
– Severe dental problems: Meth Mouth
– Permanent damage to blood vessels – sunken eyes
of heart and brain – dark baggy eye lids
– High blood pressure leading to heart
attacks, strokes and death – facial drooping,
– Liver and kidney damage particularly the mouth and
– Destruction of tissues in nose if lower lips
snorted
– Respiratory problems and lung – pale skin
damage if smoked – dark blue-black lips
– Infectious diseases and abscesses if
injected – wrinkles from skin losing
– Damage to the brain similar to elasticity
Alzheimer’s disease
– Convulsions
– acne and sores \
 Collection and Preservation
 The field investigator has the responsibility of ensuring that
the evidence is properly packaged and labeled for the
laboratory.
 Generally common sense is the best guide, keeping in mind
that the package must prevent the loss of the contents
and/or cross-contamination.
 Often the original container in which the drug was
seized will suffice.
 All packages must be marked with information that is
sufficient to ensure identification by the officer in the
future and establish the chain of custody.
 Drug Detection Times
 amphetamines: up to 4 days
 cocaine: up to 72 hrs.

 opiates: up to 5 days

 PCP: up to 6 days

 barbiturates: up to a week

 benzodiazepines: up to a week

 … then there’s alcohol & cannabinoids

 Cannabinoids
 30+ day detection window often exaggerates
duration of detection window
 reasonable & pragmatic court guidance

 detection time: at 50 ng/mL cutoff

– up to 3 days for single event/occasional use

– up to 10 days for heavy chronic use
 detection time: at 20 ng/mL cutoff

– up to 7 days for single event/occasional use

– up to 21 days for heavy chronic use
 Preliminary Analysis
 Faced with the prospect that the unknown substance may be
any one of a thousand or more commonly encountered drugs,
the analyst must employ screening tests to reduce these
possibilities to a small and manageable number.

 This objective is often accomplished by subjecting the material

to a series of color tests that will produce characteristic colors
for the more commonly encountered illicit drugs.
 Preliminary Analysis
 screening test for marijuana
– Duquenois-Levine Color test
 THC screening….. Marijuana and Hashish
 Drops added to vegetation, turns purple color
 Color screening test
 Marquis Test – ex: Nark II
 Primary presumptive test used for ecstasy testing. Also used to test
for cocaine, opiates (e.g. methadone, heroin), and methamphetamine.

– Purple Opiates
– Orange to brown Amphetamine & Meth
– Blue Ecstasy
– Red Aspirin
– Pink cocaine
COLOR TEST
 Preliminary Analysis
 Microcrystalline tests can also be used to identify specific
drug substances by studying the size and shape of crystals
formed when the drug is mixed with specific reagents.
•

• left cocaine,
• right marijuana
 Confirmational Determination
 Once this preliminary analysis is completed, a
confirmational determination is pursued.

 Forensic chemists will employ a specific test to identify a

drug substance to the exclusion of all other known chemical
substances.

 Typically infrared spectrophotometry or gas

chromatography-mass spectrometry is used to specifically
identify a drug substance.
 Special Test
Morphine
 Iodic acid test- 5% potassium iodate and dilute
sulphuric acid turns violet
 Prussian blue test- few drops of 3% ferricyanide +
10% ferric chloride = Prussian blue color
 Nitrous acid test – a yellow green color develops
turns red upon addition of NaOH.
 Special Test
Codine
 Pellagri’s Test – 3-4ml HCl + 3-4 drops of conc.
Sulphuric acid + evaporate = emerald green color
 Furfural Test- sulphuric acid then heat + cane-sugar
solution (slowly) = purple-red color
 Prussian Blue Test – green color

 Ferric Chloride Test – conc. Sulphuric acid + 1 drop

of 10% ferreic chloride solution = blue
 Oxidation Test- blue color
 Special Test
Cocaine
 Potassium permanganate test – saturated potassium
permanganate solution = violet crystalline precipitate
 Chromic acid test – 5%chromic acid + HCl =
crystalline orange precipitate
 Iodic acid test – sulphuric acid + small particle of
potassium iodate + evaporate sample = brown to
olive green to blue to violet then disappear
 Common Drugs of Abuse

A comprehensive guide to the most commonly abused drugs

Table of Contents
 Amphetamines
 Cocaine
 Marijuana
 Opiates
 Phencyclidine
 MDMA
 Barbiturates
 Benzodiazepines
 Methadone
 Methqualone
 Propoxyphene
 GHB
 Rohypnol
 Ketamine
 LSD
 Anabolic Steroids
Amphetamines
Street Names

 Uppers
 Speed
 Black Beauties
 Meth
 Whites
 Jelly Beans
 Dexies
 Crank
 White Cross
 Benny
 Crystal
More than 70% of substance abusers hold jobs.
-American Council for Drug Education
 What to Look For
 Tablets of varying colors, possible chain smoking.

 Physical Symptoms
 Long periods without rest or sleep, loss of appetite, anxiety, irritability, rapid
speech, tremors, mood elevation.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Methamphetamine
 Urine: 1 to 3 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours
 Amphetamine
 Urine: 1 to 3 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours

 Dangers
 Disorientation, severe depression, paranoia, possible hallucinations, increase
in blood pressure, fatigue.
Cocaine
Street Names

 Coke
 Nose Candy
 Crack
 Snow
 White Candy
 C
 Flake
 Freebase
 Toot
 Blow
 Rock
 What to Look For
 Glassine envelopes, razors, small spoons, bitter white crystaline
powder, granular rocks.

 Physical Symptoms
 Short-lived euphoria changing to depression, irritability,
nervousness, tightness of muscles.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Benzoylegonine
 Urine: 1 to 3 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours
 Dangers
 Shallow breathing, fever, anxiety, tremors, possible death from
convulsions or respiratory arrest.
Marijuana
Street Names

 Dope

 Pot

 Reefer

 Joint

 Smoke

Americans consume 60% of the world’s production of illegal

 Weed
drugs. In fact, 23 million individuals use marijuana at least 4 times
a week and 6 million regularly use cocaine..
-American Council for Drug Education
 What to Look For
 Plastic baggies, rolling paper, “roach” clips, odor of burnt rope.

 Physical Symptoms
 Alterated perception, dialated pupils, lack of concentration and
coordination, craving for sweets, increased appetite, laughter.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 11-Nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid
 Urine: occasional use, 1 to 3 days
 Urine: habitual / chronic use, up to 90 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)

 Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
 Oral Fluid: less than 24 hours

 Dangers
 Psychological dependence, increased heart rate, impaired short-term
memory, anxiety, lung damage, possible pyschosis with chronic use.
Opiates
Street Names

 Heroin (Smack,
Horse, Junk, China
White)
 Morphine (M, Miss
Emma)
 Codeine (School boy)
 Hydrocodone
(Vicodin ®)
 Hydromorphone
(Dilaudid®)
 Oxycodone
(Percocet®,
Percodan®,
Oxycontin®)
 Oxymorphone
(Mumorphan®)
 What to Look For
 Glassine envelopes, needles and syringes, caps or spoons, tourniquets,
needle marks on arms

 Physical Symptoms
 Insensitivity to pain, euphoria, sedation, nausea, vomiting, itchiness, watery
eyes, running nose

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Codeine, Morphine
 Urine: 1 to 3 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours
 Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, , 6-Monoacetylmorphine
 Urine: 1 to 3 days (< 1 day for 6-monoacetylmorphine)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours (not applicable for oxycodone or oxymorphone)

 Dangers
 Lethargy, weight loss, hepatits, slow and shallow breathing, possible death.
Phencyclidine
Street Names

 Angel Dust

 Devil Stick

 PCP

 Dummy Dust

 Wack
 What to Look For
 Liquid capsules, white or brown powder on paper stamps, sugar
cubes, cigarettes, joints, injection paraphernalia.

 Physical Symptoms
 Increased pulse and heart rate, blood pressure and temperature,
possible mood and perception alteration, paranoia, panic, anxiety,
nausea, tremors, suicidal urge.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Phencyclidine
 Urine: occasional use, 1 to 5 days
 Urine: habitul/chronic use, up to 30 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours

 Dangers
 Unpredictable behavior, flashbacks, possible emotional instability and
psychosis, hallucinations.
MDMA
Street Names

 Ecstasy
 Adam
 XTC
 X
 Hug Drug
 Beans
 Love Drug
 Lover’s Speed
 What to Look For
 White odorless crystalline powder, tablets in various colors and
stamped with various patterns

 Physical Symptoms
 Euphoria, empathetic and unusually warm toward people, touch and
sight sense often heightened

 Substances / Time Detectable

 3-4 Methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 3-4 Methylene
dioxyamphetamine (MDA)
 Urine: 1 to 3 days
 Hair: up to 90 days (depending on hair length)
 Oral Fluid: 24 to 36 hours

 Dangers
 Tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia, mydriasis, diaphoresis,
stimulant, entactogenic effects, visual hallucinations.
Benzodiazepines
Street Names

 Downers

 Tranqs
 What to Look For
 Pills and injection paraphernalia

 Physical Symptoms
 Slurred speech, disorientation, drunken behavior without odor of alcohol

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Some commonly used brand names are:

 Ativan (lorazepam), Dalmane (flurazepam), Diastat orValium (diazepam), Doral
(quazepam), Halcion (triazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Librium
(chlordiazepoxide), Paxipam (halazepam), ProSom (estazolam), Restoril
(temazepam), Serax (oxazepam), Tranxene-SD (clorazepate), Xanax
(alprazolam)
 Urine: varies from 1 to 14 days (depending on specific benzodiazepine)

 Dangers
 Shallow respiration, cold and clammy skin, dialated pupils, weak and rapid
pulse, coma, possible death
Methadone
Street Names

 Done

 Dolophine

 Methadose

 Dolls
 What to Look For
 White crystalline powder, tablets, liquid (injectable)

 Physical Symptoms
 Euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted
pupils, nausea.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Methadone and Metabolite
 Urine: 1 to 3 days

 Dangers
 Slow and/or shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions,
coma, possible death.
Methaqualone
Street Names

 Ludes

 Sopor

 Lemon

 Quaalude

 Mequin

The percentage of the U.S. population using illegal drugs increased

from 6.3% in 1999 and 2000 to 7.1% in 2001; this translates to
15.9 million Americans.
-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
 What to Look For
 Tablets

 Physical Symptoms
 Slow heart rate and breathing, lowered blood pressure,
sleepiness, feelings of well-being, loss of coordination, laziness,
impaired perception, confusion, later hangover

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Methaqualone
 Urine: 1 to 7 days

 Dangers
 Anxiety, insomnia
Propoxyphene

Street Names

 None known

In the workplace, substance abusers increase the risk of accidents,

lower productivity, compromise product quality, increase the
workload of others, raise costs and reduce profits.
-American Council for Drug Education
 What to Look For
 Tablets, capsules

 Physical Symptoms
 Dizziness, drowsiness, headache, euphoria, sysphoria, asthenia

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Norpropoxyphene
 Urine: 1 to 3 days

 Dangers
 Skin rash and other allergic reactions occur occasionally and
may be accompanied by drug fever and mucosal lesions, stupor
or coma, convulsions, and respiratory depression.
GHB
Street Names

 Liquid Ecstasy

 Liquid – X

 Everclear

 Soap

 Easy Lay

 Goops

 Georgia Home Boy

 What to Look For
 White, odorless powder, tablet or capsule

 Physical Symptoms
 Relaxes or sedates the body and slows breathing and heart rate.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Gamma hydroxybutyrate
 Urine: up to 72 hours

 Dangers
 Bradycardia, respiratory depression, hallucinations, amnesia.
Rohypnol
Street Names

 Roophies

 Roofies

 Roach

 Rope

 Circles

 MexicanValium
 What to Look For
 Odorless, tasteless white tablet

 Physical Symptoms
 Sedative effects, including amnesia, muscle relaxation and the
slowing of psychomotor performance

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Flunitrazepam metabolite (7-Aminoflunitrazepam)
 Urine: 1 to 3 days

 Dangers
 Respiratory depression, hypotension, disorientation, dizziness,
visual disturbances, anterrograde amnesia.
Ketamine
Street Names

 Special K
 Lady Kay
 Vitamin K
 Jet
 K
 Keets
 Super C
 CatValium
 K - hole
 What to Look For
 Liquid or white powder

 Physical Symptoms
 It is a dissocaitive drug that produces effects similar to PCP;
large doses put users into a dreamlike, hallucinogenic state.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Ketamine metabolite (Dehydronorketamine)
 Urine: 1 to 2 days

 Dangers
 Tachycardia, hypertension, nystagmus, respiratory depression,
visual hallucinations, cataleptic state.
LSD
Street Names

 Acid

 L

 Blotter

 Trips

 Cid

 Tabs

 Microdots
 What to Look For
 Colorless, odorless tablets or capsules (microdots), liquid
solution on gelatine (window panes), liquid solution diluted and
impregnated on blotting paper (blotter)

 Physical Symptoms
 Mood – altering effects, flashbacks, severe depression

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Lysergic acid diethylamide
 Urine: 8 hours

 Dangers
 Tachycardia, hypertension, hyperthermia, mydriasis,
lacrimation, visual hallucinations, synthesias ataxia, tremors.
Anabolic Steroids
Street Names

 Testosterone and its

synthetic analogs are listed
as controlled substances

 Androstenediols
 Androstenediones and
their 19-nor versions
 Dehydroepian-
drosterone
 Designer anabolic
steroids
 What to Look For
 Oil-based injectable intramuscular (IM) solutions (ampules, vials, syringes,
bottles), tablets or lozenges for oral administration, sprays, skin lotions.

 Physical Symptoms
 Yellow tint skin color, acne, gynecomastia (in males), weight gain, fluid
accumulation, psychological disorders such as agressiveness.
 In females: marked masculinazation, deeper voice, male pattern hair growth.

 Substances / Time Detectable

 Multiple metabolites, some parent steroids.Testosterone to epitesterone rario (T/E) for
detection of endogenous steroid abuse.
 Urine: if drug taken orally, up to 3 weeks.
 Urine: if drug injected, 3 months to 1 year

 Dangers
 Liver dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, infertility,
virilization (in females)
For further information…
 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and
SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol &Drug
Information – List of drugs:
http://store.health.org/catalog/drugs.aspx
 NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) – Main page:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages
 Medical Review Officer Handbook, 8th edition, Theodore F.
Schults, MS, JD, Quadrangle Research LLC, 2002