Hair Morphine Concentrations of Fatal Heroin Overdose Cases and Living Heroin Users

• NCJ Number: 196928
• Journal: Addiction Volume: 97 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2002 Pages: 977-984
• Author(s): Shane Darke; Wayne Hall; Sharlene Kaye; Joanne Ross; Johan Duflou
• Editor(s): Susan Savva
• Date Published: August 2002
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study compared heroin and other opiate use, assessed by morphine concentrations in hair, in three groups of heroin users in Australia: heroin overdose fatalities; current street heroin users; and drug-free therapeutic community clients.

Abstract

This study attempted to replicate and extend the findings from a 1998 study that compared morphine concentrations detected in hair samples of fatal overdose cases, heroin users entering detoxification, and incompletely abstinent former users. The results showed morphine concentrations in fatal cases to be significantly lower than those of current users, but not significantly different from the abstinent former users. This study took hair morphine concentrations that assessed heroin use and other opiate use in the 2 months preceding interview or death and compared them to heroin overdose fatalities diagnosed by forensic pathologists (n=42), current street heroin users (n=100), and abstinent heroin users in a drug-free therapeutic community (n=50). Results indicated a large difference between the three groups in recent heroin and other opiate consumption levels, as indicated by hair morphine concentrations. Current users had a median hair morphine concentration four times that of the fatal overdose cases, indicating heavier recent opiate use. However, the fatal cases were not abstinent during the period prior to death. This group’s median morphine concentration was six times that of the therapeutic community clients but had used much less heroin and other opiates than active street users. In conclusion, the study found that fatal overdose cases were not abstinent from opiates in the period prior to death, but were using considerably less heroin and other opiates than active street users. Fatal overdose cases appeared to have been at risk from a lower tolerance to opiates and higher level of alcohol consumption. References