Assessing the use of ASAP-MS for Screening a UK Pub for Illicit Drug Substances

Illicit drug use in social environments, such as pubs and bars, has become an increasingly significant issue for public health and safety. These venues often provide a setting where individuals may engage in recreational drug use, resulting in their residual presence on high-contact surfaces. This study aims to investigate the presence of illicit drugs in a pub within the United Kingdom, focusing on common touchpoints such as the tables, bar and men's/women's bathrooms. Over 400 surface swabs were collected across 3 weeks, with the objective of identifying traces of illicit substances commonly associated with recreational use. This study additionally explored the potential of atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS) as a screening tool for the on-site detection of cocaine, ketamine, amphetamine, diazepam and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Previous research has demonstrated that ASAP-MS is an effective method for detecting illicit drugs with minimal sample preparation. An untargeted screening method was developed for direct swab analysis via glass capillary rod, whereas a combined untargeted and targeted approach was used for solvent-extracted samples. For confirmatory testing, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) determined the effectiveness of each ASAP-MS analysis. Results indicated that the targeted method with minimal sample preparation detected trace amounts of illicit drugs that were previously undetected using the initial screening method. However, the untargeted method, with direct sample analysis, showed potential for detecting larger quantities, particularly cocaine. Overall, the findings revealed drug residues at all touchpoints within the pub, particularly in the bathrooms which contained traces of cocaine in all samples.