NCJ Number
14632
Date Published
1972
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE PROBABILITY OF DETECTING DRUG USERS WITH DIFFERING SENSITIVITY LEVELS OF DETECTION EQUIPMENT.
Abstract
IT WAS FOUND THAT DRUG CONCENTRATION IN URINE IS A FUNCTION OF THE SIZE OF THE INITIAL DOSE, THE ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN THE DOSE AND THE MEASUREMENT, AND THE ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN THE LAST URINATION AND THE MEASUREMENT. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH THE PROBABILITY OF DETECTING CHRONIC HEROIN USERS WAS HIGH FOR ALL THREE DETECTOR SENSITIVITY LEVELS TESTED, THE PROBABILITY OF DETECTING A NAIVE USER WAS CONSIDERABLY LOWER, ESPECIALLY IF HE HAD URINATED ONE HOUR BEFORE THE TEST. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT THE PROBABILITY OF DETECTING A DRUG ABUSER CAN BE IMPROVED BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TIMES A PERSON IS SAMPLED AND BY SHORTENING THE TIME BETWEEN SAMPLES AND BY SAMPLING PROMPTLY TO AVOID CONCENTRATION LOSS DUE TO PRESAMPLE URINATION.