Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026
11:14
Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Published on: October 2, 2016
The association between pharmacologic drug intoxication and forensic-specific intent
Keith I Yoshizuka1, Paul J Perry
1Behavioral and Administrative Sciences Department, Touro University-California, College of Pharmacy, Vallejo (Mare Island), CA 94592, USA.
Journal of Pharmacy Practice
|February 10, 2012
Summary
Voluntary intoxication can be a defense in specific intent crimes, potentially leading to acquittal if the prosecution cannot prove the defendant
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Criminal Law
Background:
- Legal definitions of "intent" are often misunderstood by expert witnesses.
- The intoxication defense varies based on the nature of the crime charged.
Observation:
- Two criminal cases involved defendants charged with felonies while intoxicated.
- Defense counsel sought expert opinions on defendants' capacity to form specific intent.
Findings:
- Voluntary intoxication is not a defense for general intent crimes.
- Intoxication can be used to negate specific intent in certain felonies.
- Proving specific intent is crucial for the prosecution's case.
Implications:
- Expert witnesses must understand the nuances of "specific intent" in intoxication defense cases.
- Proper application of the intoxication defense can lead to acquittals.
- This highlights the importance of mens rea in criminal liability.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios
Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
01:24Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions
Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...
01:16Drug toxicity: Idiosyncratic Reactions
Idiosyncratic drug reactions represent abnormal chemical responses that vary significantly among individuals, ranging from extreme sensitivity to low doses to insensitivity to high doses. These reactions often occur due to the drug's covalent binding with serum proteins, forming a foreign hapten that triggers an immunotoxicological response. The variability in drug reactions has a strong pharmacogenetic foundation, with genetic differences crucial in how individuals metabolize drugs. For...
01:00Drug Toxicity: Overview
Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...
01:30Drug toxicity: Drug–Drug Interaction
Drug–drug interactions can precipitate toxicity through multiple mechanisms. Absorption interactions alter how drugs enter the body, exemplified when ranitidine increases the absorption of basic drugs, while cholestyramine decreases the levels of propranolol. Protein binding interactions occur when drugs share the same binding sites on plasma proteins. Drugs like aspirin and warfarin, when bound in excess, can lead to increased free drug concentrations, enhancing the potential for...
01:24Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...