NCJ Number
218802
Date Published
October 2001
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the influence of hair pigmentation and curvature or curliness on the concentration of morphine in hair.
Abstract
The results did not indicate a statistically significant effect of hair color on the concentration of morphine recovered by chemical analysis. However, the findings regarding the influence of hair color on morphine concentrations did indicate that the mean concentrations of morphine could be ranked from high to low in the following order: brown, dark brown, black, gray, and blond. Results also revealed that hair curvature or curliness had no significant impact on the concentration of morphine found in the hair. The sample under analysis consisted of a random selection of 95 morphine-positive cases drawn from a database maintained by a major hair analysis laboratory. Curvature of the sample was assessed by visual examination of the hair sample on a glass surface. Hair color was assessed based on categories derived from the hair cosmetic industry color comparison charts and were categorized as: black, brown, blond, red, and gray/gray mixed. Data analysis consisted of the use of univariate ANOVA for color categorizations and independent sample t-tests for hair curvature. Future research should make use of a larger sample. Tables, figures, references