Ethanol- and Drug-Facilitated Crime

Ethanol (alcohol) is the most commonly used drug in alleged drug-facilitated crimes (DFCs), along with cannabis. However, in contrast to other drugs, ethanol can play either an active or a passive role in DFC. One section of this chapter is devoted to ethanol itself, the first direct marker of alcohol consumption. Theoretical and instrumental determinations of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are then discussed with a focus on the retrospective BAC calculation at the moment of the crime; the following section reviews different biomarkers (ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate, phosphatidylethanol and fatty acid ethyl esters). The suitability of biomarker measurements in different biological matrices is presented as a marker of previous alcohol abuse to improve the diagnosis of DFC. The analysis of alcohol congeners is then addressed. Alcohol congeners in the blood were discovered relatively recently, making it possible to identify the specific alcoholic beverage consumed and therefore the source of the alcohol. Finally, a review of several epidemiological studies is presented.