Absence of drug abuse in prisoners in a major correctional institution

Laboratory evaluation of illicit drug abuse was conducted in a major correctional institution. Fifty-eight prison inmates were screened for common drugs of abuse in conjunction with a triazolo-benzodiazipine compound tolerance protocol. Urine specimens were collected on days -1, 1, 15, 29, and 49 and assayed for amphetamines, opiates, barbiturates, and alcohol. Quinine was detected in two individuals and was probably derived from cold remedy preparations rather than the illegal use of heroin. While occasional illicit drugs may find their way into a prison population, this study showed no evidences of drug abuse in one correctional institution whose prisoners participated in Phase I drug evaluations.