UNIT 4 - DANGEROUS DRUGS AND TOXICOLOGY

Drugs are natural and synthetic substances that are used to produce
physiological or psychological effects in humans or other higher order animals as
commonly abused drugs have the tendency to produce psychological and physical
dependence with repeated use. Drug abuse is the use of a drug with such frequency
that it causes physical and mental harm to the user. On the other hand, toxicology is the
branch of science that treats of poisons, their origin, physical and chemical properties,
physiological action, and treatment of their noxious effect or destroying life.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

 establish concrete knowledge on the different classes of dangerous drugs.

 grasp the role of toxicology in criminal investigations.

PRE-TEST

1. The gummy, milky juice extracted from the plant Papaver somniferium

a. opium b. alcohol c. caffeine d. marijuana

2. Drugs that calm, relax and diminish anxiety

a. hallucinogens b. tranquilizers c. amphetamines d. stimulants

3. The term for snake poison

a. cantharide b. strychnine c. venom d. ptomains

4. Substances or agents that countreact the effects poisons are generally called

a. emetics b. antidotes c. alkalies d. precipitants

5. The quanlity of poison administered at one specific time is referred to as

a. dilutin b. dosage c. solubility d. concentration

CONTENT

Drug- substance other than food which is intended to affect the structure or
function of the body of man or animal. This substance is intended for use in the
diagnosis, cure, treatement or prevention of disease in man and animals. It is any
substance that produces behavioral, emotional, mental o physical changes in the user.
MAJOR CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS

According to the Source/Origin

1. Natural Drugs- These are active ingredients secondary metabolic products of

plants and other living systems that may be isolated by extraction (example: morphine
from opium).

2. Semi-Synthetic Drugs- These are products from natural sources but they
have to undergo a chemical process (example: heroine from morphine).

3. Synthetic Drugs- These are artificially produced substances, synthesized in

the laboratory, for the illicit market which are mostly wholly manufactured from chemical
compounds in illicit laboratories.

4. Designer Drugs- These are substance whose molecular structure have been
modified in order to optimize their effect on the one hand, and in order to bypass laws
and regulations governing the control substances, on the other hand.

According to Physical and Chemical Properties

1. Physical Property- taste, smell, ordor, texture and crystal formation

2. Chemical Property- volatile or non-volatile, solid, liquid or gas, compounds

and molecules or ions

According to Pharmacological Effects

1. Depressants- They depress or lower the functions of the central nervous system.
These are substances that sedate or calm activities or act on the central nervous
system. Also known as “downers”.

Types of Depressants

 Narcotics- These are drugs which induce sleep or stupor and relieve pain.
Something that soothe or cause a sensation of metal numbness.

 Opium- It is derived from a poppy plant Papaver somniferum, popularly

known as “gum”, “gamot”, “kalamay” or “panocha”.

 Morphine- It is the most commonly used and best used opiate. Effective as
a painkiller six times potent than opium, with a high dependence- prdocuing
potential.

 Heroin- It is three to five times more powerful than morphine from which it is
derived and the most addicting opium derivative.
  Codeine- It is a derivative of morphine, commonly available in cough
preparations.

 Paregoric- It is a tincture of opium in combination with camphor. Commonly

used as a household remedy for diarrhea and abdominal pain.

 Demerol and Methadone- These are common synthetic drugs with

morphine-like effects.

 Barbiturates- These are drugs used for inducing sleep in persons plagued
with anxiety, metal stress, and insomnia.

 Seconal- It is a sudden withdrawal from these drugs which is even more

dangerous than opiate withdrawal.

 Tranquilizers- These are drugs that calm and relax and diminish anxiety.
They are used in the treatment of nervous states and some mental
disorders without producing sleep.

 Volatile Solvents- These are gaseous substances popularly known to

abusers as “gas”, “teardrops”.

 Alcohol- It is the king of all drugs with potential for abuse. Most widely used,
socially accepted and most extensively legalized drug throughout the world.

2. Stimulants- They stimulate the central nervous system, increase alertness and
physical disposition, reduce hunger and yield a feeling of self-confidence and well-being.
Sometimes known as “uppers”.

Types of Stimulants

 Amphetamines- These are used medically for weight reducing in obesity,

relief of mild depression and treatment.

 Cocaine- It is taken orally, injected or sniffed as to achieve euphoria or an

intense feeling of “highness”.

 Caffeine- It is present in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola drinks, and some

wake-up pills.

 Shabu- It is chemically known as methamphetamine hydrochloride. It is a

poor man’s cocaine. It is a central nervous system stimulant and sometimes
called “upper” or “speed”. It is white, colorless crystal or crystalline powder
with a bitter numbing taste. It can be taken orally, inhaled (snorted), sniffed
(chasing the dragon) or injected.
  Nicotine- It is an active component in tabacco which acts as powerful
stimulant of the central nevous system. A drop of pure nicotine can easily
kill a person.

3. Hallucinogens- These are also called pyschedelics: these drugs affect sensation,
thinking, self-awareness, and emotion. They cause hallucination in the abusers and
cause changes in sensation, distortions of perceptions, illusions and delusions. It is
sometimes known as “psychedelic”.

Types of Hallucinogens

 Marijuana- It is the most commonly abused hallucinogen in the Philippines.

It is known as “Cannabis Sativa L.”. The term “marijuana” is of Mexican
origin. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active component of marijuana
responsible for its hallucinogenic effect.

 Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)- This drug is the most powerful of the
psychedelics obtained from ergot, a fungus that attacks rye kernels.

 Peyote- It is derived from the surface part of a small gray brown cactus.

 Mescaline- It is the alkaloid hallucinogen extracted from peyote cactus and

also be synthesized in the laboratory.

 STP- It is a take-off on the motor oil additive. It is a chemical derivative of

mescaline claimed to produce more violent and longer effects than
mescaline dose.

 Psilocybin- This hallucinagenic alkaloid from small Mexican mushrooms

are used by Mexican Indians today.

 Morning Glory seeds- The black and brown seeds of the wild tropical
morning glory that are used to produce hallucinations.

4. Inhalants- These are any liquid, solid or mixed substances that have the property of
releasing toxic (psychoactive) vapors or fumes. Example: solvent, glue, gasoline,
kerosene, etc.

Methods of Examinnation of Dangerous Drugs

1. Qualitative Examination- It is an examination used to determine the active

components of the substance.

2. Quantitative Examination- It is an examination used to determine the degree

of purity of the substance.
Test for Morphine/Heroin

 Marquis Test

 Froehde’s Test

 Nitric Acid Test

 Thin-layer Chromatography

Test for Shabu ( Methamphetamine hydrochloride)

 Marquis Test

 Simon’s Test

 Thin-layer Chromatography

Toxicology

Toxicology refers to the science of detecting and identifying the presence of

drugs and poisons in tissues, organs, and body fluids. There is a specialized area of
toxicology called, toxinology, which deals specifically with animal, plant and microbial
toxins; however, this is considered a science in its own right. Toxins are natural
substances produced by living organisms whereas toxic substances are synthetic
substances from chemicals, which are considered toxicants.

Importance of Toxicology

Toxicology is used to verify if a case being examined is poisoning or if there is

foul play in the crime scene, which may have caused the death of the victim. Toxicology
is an important tool in conducting criminal investigations that rely heavily on the analysis
of toxins and toxic substances.

Tolerance and Idiosyncrasy

Tolerance refers to the condition wherein a toxic substance does not affect the
body the way it used to be (e.g. in the case of benzodiazepines, amphetamines,
morphine, heroin, and methadone). Meanwhile, idiosyncrasy is the opposite of tolerance,
that is, small amounts can have fatal effects (e.g., in the case of aspirin, penicillin,
cocaine, etc.).
Collection of Samples for Toxicology Examination

There are many sources of samples for toxicology examination, and these
include the following:

 Lungs: aside from blood, lungs can also be checked for samples to determine
solvent abuse or volatile compound samples

 Liver, kidney, brain and fat: many drugs tend to concentrate on these areas

 Organs: these are sources for bodies that are already decomposed

 Hair and nail clippings: these are excellent sources of samples to determine heavy
metal poisoning, such as arsenic, antimony or thallium

 Kidneys: heavy metals often concentrate in the kidneys

 Vitreous humor: can be a source of alcohol/drug samples

 Brain: can be a source of samples of non-polar solvents, freon, or chloroform

 Blood: metals such as aluminum, manganese, nickel or lead may be found

Intoxication via Alcohol

Sources of alcohol include ethanol, which is produced by the enzymatic action of

yeast on a vegetable substrate containing sugars. Alcohol fermentation yields 12%-
15% alcohol while distillation concentrates alcohol to 40%-60%. A breathalyzer is used
to detect alcohol intoxication, especially among drivers suspected to be under the
influence of liquor.

Poisons

A poison is a substance that, when introduced to the body, may cause changes
that will result to injury and death. Poison, especially an overdose of pills, is the second
most popular form of suicide. With the right kind of poison, it would be relatively painless
death. Poisoning is a very popular form of murder. Poison can easily be slipped into
victim’s food or drink and depending on the intended outcome, can either act slowly,
over a long period of time, or rapidly within minutes or hours. Certain types of poisons
can imitate diseases, causing the doctor to misdiagnose a medical problem, or can
cause a steady weakening of the body making it susceptible to other more serious
diseases.

Criminal poisoning has received a little attention due to its apparently rare
occurrence. Although statistics indicate that poisonings account for only 3% to 6% of
homicides, many cases of criminal poisoning may go undetected resulting from the
difficulties associated with detecting this type of crime. This type of crime frequently
becomes known only after exhumation of the victim’s remains.

Commonly Used Types of Poison

Arsenic

Historically, arsenic is a favorite killer poison. In the UK, arsenic is available to be

purchased to facilitate rat and pest management. When used as a poison, arsenic
symptoms includes vomiting, diarrhea with blood, and severe stomach discomfort.

Cyanide

Cyanide kills by preventing red blood cells from absorbing the sufficient amount
of oxygen it needs. This resulted in a process known as “internal shortness of breath”.
During World War II, cyanide capsules were allegedy used by spies of World War II as
an easy escape option to avoid persecution.

Types of Poisons

1. Corrosive poisons- they destroy tissues when they come in contact with the body
(e.g. hydrochloric acid or muriatic acid)

2. True poison- natural poisons, such as cyanide present in silver cleaners

3. Cumulative poisons- poisons whose intensity lies on the gradual accumulation of

the poison (e.g., arsenic).

Types of Poisoning

There are two types of poisoning. One is acute poisoning, which refers to
exposure to poison and produces immediate or instant death. The other one is chronic
poisoning, which refers to the gradual exposure to the poisons and does not
immediately result to death.

Classifications of Poisons

Poison can be classified based on several factors, as discussed below.

1. Based on Origin

a. Vegetable- poisons that comes from plants (e.g., poison ivy)

b. Animal- poisons transferred through bites and stings of terrestrial or marine

animals (e.g., snake bites, sting from jellyfish and bees)

c. Mineral- are strong acids and bases (e.g., HCl and NaOH)
 d. Microbial- are poisons produced by microscopic organism (e.g., bacteria in
spoiled food and fungi found in expired bread)

e. Synthetic- are poisons chemically produced in the laboratory that have useful
importance to its purpose but become poisonous when taken into the body (e.g.,
pesticides and overdose of drugs)

2. Based on Chemical Properties

a. Metallic- are poisons that can be detected through isolation and extraction
using solvent extraction and flame test (arsenic exhibits blue color in flame test)

b. Non-volatile Poisons- are poisons that can be analyzed through extraction

using solvents and confirmatory test with the use of Fourier Transformed Infrared
Spectrophotometer (FT-IR)

c. Volatile Poisons- are poisons that can be isolated through distillation; its
distillate can be analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-
MS)

d. Anions- are poisons that can be detected through qualitative methods of

examination for the presence of anions (e.g., sulfates, sulfides, chlorine, and
alkalis)

e. Miscellaneous- other poisons (e.g., pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers)

3. Based on Physical Form

a. Solid form may result to an overdose of sleeping pills and ingestion of

dangerous drugs

b. Liquid form are poisons introduced to the body (e.g., pesticides and cyanide
present in silver cleaning agents)

c. Gas forms include ammonia, bromine, and carbon monoxide

d. Vapor

e. Aerosols

4. Based on Physiological Effects

a. Irritants- are poisons that result in nausea, vomiting and diarrhea when they
come in contact with the senses (e.g., chlorine, bromine)
 b. Corrosive- are strong acids and bases that can destroy the tissues that they
come in contact to (e.g., HCl, NaOH)

c. Neurotics- poisons can be

 Spine neurotics like picrotoxin and cerebrospinal

 Cerebral neurotics like alcohol, opium, and tobacco

 Cerebrospinal Neurotics further classified as

- Deliriants such as cocaine

- Depresssants such as barbiturates

d. Aesthetics/Exhaustives, such as aconite and KCN.

5. Based on Effects on the body

a. Local destruction on the skin such as phenols and HCl

b. Blood Poisons such as HCN

c. Nervous poisons

d. Cardiac poisons

Method of Examining Poisons

1. Identification- this refers to screening and confirmatory tests that are used to
identify the presence of the poisons. Screening test methods are done
qualitatively by flame test, precipitation, as well as the identification of organic
and inorganic cations and anions, metals, carbonyls, alcohols and aromatic
hydrocarbons. Confirmatory test is done with the aid of the machines in the
laboratory like the GC-MS and FT-IR.

2. Isolation- this refers to the process of reducing the desired substance in its
pure form through distillation, solvent extraction, and chromatography.

Entrance and Elimination of Poisons in the Body

Poisons can enter the body through the skin, mouth, nose, rectum, eyes and
vagina either hypodermically (inside the dermis, a layer in the skin) or intravenously
(insertion of needles thru the veins). Poisons can be eliminated in the body by means of
emesis (i.e., removing the poison from the body through vomiting), respiration, feces,
urine, milk, sweat, saliva and tears. Meanwhile, antidotes are substance that neutralizes
a poison and its effects.
Kinds of Antidotes

1. Mechanical Antidote- removes the poisons inside the body without changing it.
Example are stomach tubes and ligatures.

2. Chemical Antidote- makes the poison harmless.

3. Physiological Antidote- an agent that counter the reactions made by the

poisons.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Answer each item in 100 words or more.

Activity 1. Explain why drug abuse often lead people to commit crimes.

Activity 2. State how toxicology help distinguish between a case of suicide and a
murder case.

ASSESSMENT

1. It is a sharp-pointed organ at the end of the abdomen of bees, ants and scorpions
capable of inflicting a painful or dangerous wound by injecting poison

a. sting b. toxin c. venom d. toxic chemical

2. Carbon monoxide is a poison that is

a. solid b. liquid c. gas d. powder

3. Emetics work to eliminate poisons from the body through

a. vomiting b. excretion c. sweating d.bleeding

4. Cannabis Sativa L is the source of

a. heroin b. cocaine c. marijuana d. nicotine

5. The following are illicit drugs except

a. alcohol b. marijuana c. cocaine d. heroin