Because drugs remain in strands of hair for months longer than they do in the bloodstream, drug tests based on hair are more robust across time and can provide evidence of drug use in the more distant past. The challenge is differentiating whether a drug is present due to drug use or environmental contamination.
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The Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office has developed a quick method to screen fluids for hundreds of drugs simultaneously, improving workflow.
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A new study led by Thomas Jefferson University researchers has found that American currency carries much more than germs on its surface. The study used a new method of analysis to examine one-dollar bills collected from 13 cities across the U.S. Fentanyl, a potent opioid, was detected on 63% of the bills, shedding light on the widespread presence of this dangerous substance in everyday transactions.
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Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Marquis Douglas, a narcotics trafficker who operated a narcotics business that was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and other illicit substances throughout the North Fork of Long Island, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 25 years’ imprisonment. Douglas pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of fentanyl analogue (fluorofentanyl), and distribution of cocaine and fluorofentanyl on or about August 12, 2021, which resulted in the overdose deaths of four people.
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On Thursday, July 25, 2024, Hamilton County Corrections Deputies were notified of a possible overdose in the women’s housing unit. This was the third overdose to occur within (36) hours.
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In forensic laboratories, samples are often screened for drugs through so-called color tests, designed to change color in the presence of drugs. Although these tests are quick and inexpensive, they are limited because they are non-specific, meaning they do not identify which drug may be present, and can be inconclusive, requiring follow-up testing.
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An investigation into the death of a correctional officer led to the arrests of three defendants today who are charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute controlled substances and introducing narcotic drugs to an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California.
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he U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was joined today by U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, Jane Young, representatives from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), New England HIDTA, the New Hampshire Department of Safety, the Town of Londonderry, and members of the New Hampshire federal congressional delegation, to break ground on a new, state-of-the-art DEA Laboratory in Londonderry.
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In the midst of America’s opioid crisis, a much healthier alternative to long-term pain management is emerging—one affectionately known as “the cuddle hormone,” or oxytocin.
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Drug overdoses increased by 356 percent from 8.5 to 40.5 percent per 100,000 individuals from 2010 to 2021.
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