engleski

Evaluation of amphetamine-type stimulants abuse through hair analysis – the Croatian experience

According to data provided by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, approx. 3.8 % of all Europeans aged 15-64 have consumed amphetamines at least once. Hair analysis is a reliable tool for detecting long- term exposure to illegal drugs, including amphetamine-type stimulants, over a period from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the length of the hair used for analysis. In the 2000-2012 period, over 600 hair samples were analysed for the presence of amphetamine-type stimulants. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was employed for determining amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3, 4-methylene- dioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3, 4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA-Ecstasy), and 3, 4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) in hair. A large majority of our customers were parents who had suspected their children of taking drugs – primarily amphetamine-type stimulants. In most instances, a third person (e.g., parent) brought the hair sample for analysis (40 %). In other cases, hair samples were taken at the Institute by trained personnel (37 %) or delivered by mail (23 %). In 73 % of cases, hair samples were tested anonymously. Less than 8 % of cases included hair samples tested for official purposes (workplace drug testing, court cases, Addiction Prevention Centre and hospital requests, etc.). A total of 23 % of the tested samples were positive for one or more amphetamine-type stimulants. MDMA was the most frequent detected substance (in 10 % of samples), followed by amphetamine (5 %). The most frequent combinations were amphetamine with MDMA (5 % of all hair samples). Methamphetamine was detected in only 1 % of hair samples. In less than 2 % of hair samples, we detected methamphetamine + MDMA, amphetamine + methamphetamine, amphetamine + methamphetamine + MDMA or amphetamine + MDMA + MDA + MDEA. The procedure for testing hair samples for amphetamine-type stimulants at our Institute has been used for over twelve years and was found to be reliable for confirming the repeated abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants.

amphetamine-type stimulants ; hair analysis

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