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Driving Impairment Cases Involving Flualprazolam
Kimberly B Youso1, Kei A Osawa1, Marina L Divine1
1Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, 1109 N. Minneapolis St., Wichita, KS 67214, USA.
Flualprazolam, a novel psychoactive substance, was detected in 19 impaired driving cases, highlighting the need for vigilant laboratory testing of emerging benzodiazepines.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Flualprazolam is an emerging novel psychoactive substance (NPS) within the benzodiazepine class.
- Increasing prevalence of flualprazolam necessitates updated toxicological screening protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the detection of flualprazolam in drivers suspected of impaired driving.
- To characterize blood concentrations of flualprazolam in this population.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of blood samples from 19 drivers stopped for impaired driving between July 2019 and May 2020.
- Toxicology laboratory at Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center.
Main Results:
- Flualprazolam was detected in approximately 9% of total toxicology cases during the study period.
- Detected blood concentrations ranged from 4 to 69 ng/mL, with a mean of 20.9 ng/mL and median of 15 ng/mL.
Conclusions:
- The rising detection rates of flualprazolam underscore its growing presence in impaired driving incidents.
- Laboratories must maintain vigilance in testing for NPS like flualprazolam due to their pharmacological potency at low concentrations.
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