30-second fingerprint test could reveal drug use

Researchers at the University of Surrey and the Netherlands Forensic Institute have developed a method of using fingerprints to determine whether a person has used cocaine.

The research is the first large-scale investigation of cocaine users and could bring a breakthrough in detecting the use of Class A drugs.

The researchers used a process called paper spray mass spectrometry to detect fingerprints on chromatography paper, which can separate substances placed on it when touched. They then treated the paper with chemicals to make the fingerprints visible and determine the person’s identity.

When people use cocaine, their fingerprints retain key chemical indicators of the substances methylecgonine and benzoylecgonine, even after washing their hands. The researchers tested 239 fingerprint samples and had a 99% success rate in determining cocaine use, with only a 2.5% false-positive rate.

During the study, the researchers could determine in around four minutes whether someone had used cocaine. Study co-author, Dr Melanie Bailey, said the team expected to eventually reduce the time to 30 seconds, making the hygienic, non-invasive drug test efficient and quick. She expected the technology could become available for police use within ten years.

The National Statistics Office reports that approximately 2.7 million people, aged between 16 and 59 (about 8% of adults) in England and Wales used illegal drugs in 2015 and 2016. In England, hospitals admitted more than 8,500 people with drug-related behavioural disorders and mental health issues, while about 2,500 people in England and Wales died from drug abuse in 2015.