Hair testing for drugs of abuse: a two-year experience

This article gives a brief account of a two-year experience with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry methods developed for the analysis of opiates (morphine, codeine, heroin and 6-acetylmorphine), cocaine, methadone, and amphetamines (amphetamine; methamphetamine; 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine--MDA, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine--MDMA, Ecstasy) in hair. The methods developed were reproducible (RSD = 5.0-16.1%), accurate (85.1-100.6%) and sensitive (LD = 0.05-0.30 ng/mg). They were applied in the analysis of 221 hair samples obtained from young subjects aged 15-25 years, who were suspected of drug abuse. Seventy-seven hair samples were found positive for drugs of abuse. Forty-two subjects were found to have consumed amphetamine, of whom 40 were found MDMA (Ecstasy). Heroin consumption, based on positive 6-acetylmorphine, was found in 26 subjects. Cocaine alone was present in three subjects, two were found cocaine and heroin, two cocaine and methadone, and one cocaine and MDMA. These results could indicate the trend in drug abuse among young people in Croatia.