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Cocaine Use Can Now Be Tested In Fingerprints Using Ambient Mass Spectrometry
hypnosec writes: A novel technique of detecting cocaine abuse through a simple fingerprint has been developed by researchers from the UK and the Netherlands, paving the way for a secure, non-invasive drug detection method. The research, led by University of Surrey and published in the journal Analyst, demonstrates for the first time that cocaine can be detected by the excreted metabolites – benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine – resulting from abuse of the drug. These chemicals are found in fingerprint residue, which the researchers detect using analytical chemistry technique known as ambient mass spectrometry.
lets spend billions upon billions to stop people from doing things to themselves, not even taking the 4th amendment into consideration
Im not condoning abuse, but im also not condoning the absurd spending that we as a planet have done "for the children"
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
Well since they're testing for the metabolites of the stuff, probably not unless you're in the habit of eating $100 bills.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
...cocaine can be detected by the excreted metabolites...resulting from abuse of the drug.
What about those that don't abuse cocaine, but use it responsibly?
Your post:
Also to detect anyone who has any money, for confiscation of evidence of course
vs the summary
[...] by the excreted metabolites â" benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine â" resulting from abuse of the drug.
Sure. Unless simply handling money doesn't result in your body absorbing enough cocaine to synthesize and excrete " benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine".
In other words, you are probably entirely wrong.
In other words, you are probably entirely wrong.
Under civil forfeiture, the GP might not be wrong. If drug use is detected, anything and everything can be taken, car, house, kids, all of it. Poof, up in smoke...
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
The metabolites are stable for a long time. They can transfer from paper money to your oil/sweat-laden fingerprints.
And it's usually $1s and $5s that test positive for cocaine metabolites, and cocaine itself.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
So, when do we start testing every politician?
it is worse than that. There are stories of people having their life savings taken even without being charged with a crime
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
The abuse of civil forfeiture is well documented; but this test isn't really relevant. If they intend to abuse civil forfeiture to take your stuff, this test isn't going to be their go-to.
And if they don't intend to abuse civil forfeiture, all this test does is establish evidence that you've taken cocaine.
If drug use is detected
They need evidence of drug related crimes. Technically, past drug *use* isn't even illegal.
They need evidence of drug related crimes.
Ah well, no problem, man
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
simply handling money doesn't result in your body absorbing enough cocaine to synthesize and excrete " benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine".
As the limits of detection get smaller and smaller, the chances are that I could detect one molecule of almost anything on you. So how much is legally enough to charge you?
If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
it is worse than that. There are stories of people having their life savings taken even without being charged with a crime
Yeah but for some schizophrenic reason they still call it the "land of the free". "Denial" isn't just a river in Egypt you know.
Oh yeah and from the summary, this is ridiculous.
A novel technique of detecting cocaine abuse through a simple fingerprint has been developed by researchers from the UK and the Netherlands, paving the way for a secure, non-invasive drug detection method.
Yeah there's nothing invasive whatsoever about having your unique fingerprint on file, never to be deleted, and linked to the results of a drug test with an unspecified fase-positive rate and no appeals process. Really? The War on (some) Drugs is bullshit to begin with, and the fact that it provides so many excuses for shit like this is just one of many reasons to end it (other reasons being the freedom of consenting adults, and a notion of justice with this being a victimless crime).
Anybody who wants drugs can get them. They cannot even keep drugs out of PRISON. That's just a fact, even though the prison environment strongly favors the people trying to prohibit drugs. Oh and it's easier for teenagers to get illegal drugs than it is for them to get alcohol since drug dealers don't ask for ID. The War on (some non-patentable, not pushed by Big Pharma) Drugs is a failure. It's past time to stop this futile effort and move on to something that might work, such as regulated legal sales to adults. It only took about a decade for people to realize that alcohol prohibition was not going to work. Sure, the intelligent freethinkers knew that before it was made law, but listening to them is not popular. It's been close to a century since we tried prohibition of other drugs and it's a failure. It amazes me the way people will continue to support failing ideas in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Must be a religious deal?
Please give me a single citation of someone facing civil asset forfeiture for a positive drug test. Just one.
The authorities can't compel drug testing, outside of the few exceptions (suspected drugged driving, probation, or CDL holders), so how exactly are they going to use it as a basis for asset forfeiture?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
For drug dealers, perhaps the status quo. But for drug users, perhaps we should focus on reform and helping them. Treat it as a sickness and not necessarily as a crime.
I'd be worried about false positives with this test.
Chemcial tests can't tell whether a person is absuing drugs, only if they are using them. (It is a prohibitionist fiction that the use of certain drugs is inherently abuse.)
If the only way you can tell whether someone is using drugs is through chemical tests, ipso facto it is not affecting their performance on the job.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
The War on (some non-patentable, not pushed by Big Pharma) Drugs is a failure.
Ah, but I disagree. Its purpose is manifold, but the two biggies are the erosion of the constitution to keep the prison/security state growing and fed, and the profits of Big Pharma.
This sad state of affairs has been slowly engineered over decades by some very wealthy and influential people as a goal to increase their power and wealth.
It's not a failure - it's a wild success. Sucks that you and I aren't on that list of winners though.
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I can't, but I can give you plenty of citations of civil asset forfeiture for even less illegal activity -- like driving on the highway and having a large amount of cash or just making a wrong turn. Many areas have been extremely aggressive to the point of insanity with civil forfeiture.
Existing drug tests now require more extensive court orders, but if you have basically a fingerprint scanner which can provide prima facie evidence of involvement in the cocaine business it's naive to believe this won't be leveraged as an excuse to engage in civil forfeiture when far lesser offenses with far less evidence of criminal behavior are already used.
Almost all money has had contact with Cocaine and many other street drugs. Since the drugs are already on the money, detecting them in fingerprints may not indicate a user, just a money handler which is NOT a crime anywhere.
If it is drug-tainted, it's up to you to prove you didn't get it by selling drugs to a drug user.
Clearly its not tainted by any drugs you may have sold. You would have gotten the money before they took said drugs, and any residue from them taking the drugs would not appear on the money.
At worst they've proven you've transacted with a person who takes drugs. That's not even slightly illegal.
QED.
That said, yes, civil forfeiture is often abused. And as I've replied elsewhere in the thread a couple times -- if they are out to abuse civil forfeiture -- then it really doesn't matter what the outcome of this test is; they'll just take your possessions on some other flimsy pretext. (Simply having significant cash on you, within 100 miles of a border, irrespective of any drug evidence has been sufficient in the past for them to seize it....no need for a chemistry set)
Bottom line: this test really has no bearing on the problem of civil forfeiture.