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Toxicology
Toxicology
Alcohol
Illegal or prescription drugs
Other chemicals
Poisons
Metals
Gases, such as carbon monoxide
The work requires patience and the ability to follow specific steps
to achieve reliable results. The forensic toxicologist must
document every step of the process and take care to follow rules
regarding chain of custody for physical evidence.
The primary aim is to find out whether a person died of poisoning or lethal
overdose. Often it happens; a person is found to have fatal level of drug in their
system but is not the cause of death. Tendency of this happening is because
people have different tolerance level for a drug depending upon their absorption
and metabolism (Dix and Calaluce, 1999). For instance, this might be the case
with people who have build tolerance towards drugs for example habitual drug
users. To accurately find correlation between drug and cause of death, it will
depend upon various factors such as quality of a toxicology lab, scene
investigation and autopsy findings (Dix and Calaluce, 1999). Another
dangerous case which has become most prevalent in western countries, is Drug
Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA). Perpetrators use date-rape drugs like
Rohypnol, Liquid Ecstacy more commonly called Roofies, to trap women and
assault them. The victims do not remember anything but toxicological screening
can be used to find if there was the presence of above mentioned drugs in their
system.
Drugs are introduced in body by several ways including but not limited to oral,
intramuscular, intravenous, rectal, topical, subcutaneous and inhalation (Houck
and Siegel, 2015). When a drug gets ingested and is distributed throughout the
body the detection turns out to be a complex process. This is due to the fact that
each drug has a different metabolic rate also depending how much quantity was
ingested. In addition, certain drugs have preference for a particular organ or
tissue. Nevertheless, the identification of any drug involves four main steps
(Houck and Siegel, 2015).
i. Sampling
In all autopsy cases a minimum blood, urine, bile and vitreous are collected.
Then again, every laboratory has its own SOP.
If human remains are in highly decomposed state and there are no viable tissues
or organs or blood available to test for drugs, the toxicological analysis can be
performed through maggots- a subfield of toxicology known
as Entomotoxicology. Studies have proved that insects are excellent evidence
for drug analysis especially for drugs such as Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines,
opiates and Cocaine (Dimaio and Dimaio, 2011).
ii. Extraction
This involves separation of drug from the biological sample. Techniques such as
GC-MS, HPLC, TLC, Immunoassay or UV Spectrophotometry are used for the
same.
iv. Confirmation
Once the preliminary tests detect presence of a drug, it has to be confirmed. The
confirmatory method should be different and more sensitive than the
preliminary testing method.
Analytical Techniques
Other than HPLC, GC-MS, UV Spectrophotometry which are used for detection
of volatile substances; ICP-MS, AAS, AES can be used for detection,
identification and sometimes quantification of inorganic compounds like
Arsenic, Insecticides, Pesticides, Lead and such.
Classification of drug/ poisons and their legal limit is unlikely to be uniform all
over the globe as it changes from country to country. In India, based on mode of
action poisons can be classified into six groups (Krishnamurthy, 2011):
This act defines the meaning of ‘drug’ and ‘cosmetic’ for the purposes of Legal
proceedings as well as specifies manufacturing and how a particular drug will
deem to be misbranded, adulterated or spurious.
With respect to Section 320 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), if a person is found to
use adulterated, spurious or any other drug for diagnosis, treatment, mitigation
or prevention of disease which causes ill health or bodily harm, shall be
punishable for minimum of five years of imprisonment that may extend to term
of life with a minimum fine of Rs. 10,000 (Vij, 2011).
A derivative of above act which covers all kind of drugs used in therapeutic
ayurvedic, unani and siddha preparations. These rule have classified drugs into
various schedules.
This act ensures advertisements of drugs are up to ethical standards and can be
banned if they promote offensive and immoral material. Magical remedies such
as ‘Mantras’ and ‘Kavachas’ are also taken care of under this act (Vij, 2011).
India is a part of three United Nations drug convention; 1961 Convention, 1971
Convention and 1988 Convention (Tandon, 2015). Thereafter, the NDPS Act
came into force. NDPS is an “act to consolidate and amend the law relating to
narcotic drugs, to make stringent provisions for the control and regulation of
operations relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances” (NDPS Act,
1985). This act forbids cultivation, production, possession, sale, purchase, trade,
import export, use and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances except for medical and scientific purposes in accordance with the
law (Tandon, 2015). The amendments of this act were taken thrice; in 1989,
2001 and 2014.
The PITNDPS Act, 1988 aims “to provide for detention in certain cases for the
purpose of preventing illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances and for matters connected therewith”.
Section 284 of IPC: Prescribes for rash or negligent act (or omission) in
relation with poisonous substance so as to endanger human life or to be likely to
cause hurt or injury to any person.
Section 324 of IPC: Makes simple hurt more grave and liable to a more severe
punishment—where it has been inflicted by one of the means described in the
Section such as ‘fire’ or ‘any heated substance’, poison or any substance that is
deleterious to the human body to inhale, swallow, or to receive into the blood.
Section 326 of IPC: It is similar to Section 324 with the only difference that the
words ‘grievous hurt’ have been substituted for the word ‘hurt’ providing
enhanced punishment.
Section 328 of IPC: Provides punishment for causing hurt by means of poison
or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug or other thing with the
intent to commit an offence (i.e., anything when used in unwholesome
state/composition can act as a poison).
Table 1. Punishment Table according to the quantity possessed (Tandon, 2015)
MEDICO-LEGAL REPORT
What was the quantity of drug present in the system when analysed?
What was the effect of drug on the victim’s body? (Was it fatal, or by-
products were harmful?)
How did victim got in possession with that drug? (Intelligence report)
REFERENCES
Di Maio, D.J. & Di Maio, Vincent J. M 2001, Forensic pathology, 2nd edn, CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Dix, J., Calaluce, R. & Ernst, M.F. 1999;1998;, Guide to forensic pathology, CRC Press, Boca Raton
Houck, M.M. & Siegel, J.A. 2015, Fundamentals of forensic science, 3rd edn, Academic Press, Amsterdam.
Tandon, T. (2015) Drug Policy in India, International Drug Policy Consortium, London, UK.
Vij, K. (2011)Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology: Principles and Practice. 5th Edn. Chennai, India.
Website Referred
http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/1583/Experts-Opinion-and-its-admissibility-and-relevancy—Law-of-
Evidence.html