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Potential impact of drug effects, availability, pharmacokinetics, and screening on estimates of drugs implicated in cases of assault.
- Source :
-
Drug testing and analysis [Drug Test Anal] 2011 Sep; Vol. 3 (9), pp. 586-93. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Dec 29. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is a serious and troubling crime. It is important to know if and how different drugs might be used to facilitate assault in order to deter such crime. There are a number of ways in which drugs that are used for DFSA might not be detected by routine screens. The purpose of this analysis was to draw reasonable inferences regarding drugs with a high likelihood of being used for DFSA and not being detected by routine screens. National data from poison control centres, hospital emergency rooms, and law enforcement seizures were used to evaluate the relative magnitude of problems and illicit availability associated with different classes of drugs. General drug classes were examined to include additional drugs that might be used for DFSA on the basis of their amnesic effects, widespread availability, and pharmacokinetics (i.e. short half-life). The benzodiazepine-site ligands zolpidem and eszopiclone, 'club drugs' GHB and ketamine, muscle relaxants such as carisoprodol, and antihistamines such as diphenhydramine were identified as drugs that might be used for DFSA and remain undetected by routine screens. Future studies that are designed to examine the role of these drugs in DFSA cases could provide better estimates of their use for DFSA. A better understanding of what is being missed in DFSA cases might help prioritize the development of new assays, provide rationale for the availability of particular assays for routine testing, and inform practitioners and the general public of the potential DFSA risks of certain drugs.<br /> (Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)
- Subjects :
- Analgesics analysis
Analgesics pharmacokinetics
Analgesics pharmacology
Animals
Benzodiazepines analysis
Benzodiazepines pharmacokinetics
Benzodiazepines pharmacology
Carisoprodol analysis
Carisoprodol pharmacokinetics
Carisoprodol pharmacology
GABA Modulators analysis
GABA Modulators pharmacokinetics
GABA Modulators pharmacology
Hallucinogens analysis
Hallucinogens pharmacokinetics
Hallucinogens pharmacology
Histamine Antagonists analysis
Histamine Antagonists pharmacokinetics
Histamine Antagonists pharmacology
Humans
Ketamine analysis
Ketamine pharmacokinetics
Ketamine pharmacology
Muscle Relaxants, Central analysis
Muscle Relaxants, Central pharmacokinetics
Muscle Relaxants, Central pharmacology
Phencyclidine analysis
Phencyclidine pharmacokinetics
Phencyclidine pharmacology
Rape diagnosis
Substance Abuse Detection methods
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1942-7611
- Volume :
- 3
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Drug testing and analysis
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 21960542
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.203