New psychoactive substances show up in hair testing

Over the last ten years, many hundreds of drugs, known as new psychoactive substances (NPS), have come onto the market, taking advantage of governments slow to implement legislation making them illegal.

New psychoactive substances are synthesized to replicate the psychotropic effects produced by more traditional drugs. But, their potency and high toxicity, as well as their side effects are not well understood or known. There has not been enough research to determine who is using the dangerous substances.

To rectify this, a university researcher from New York, Joseph J. Palamar has been conducting research into the intentional and incidental use of the substances by young adults. Among some of the methods he employs is hair sampling, which he uses to determine how often and which types of NPS are used by young adults visiting nightclubs. With an affiliated researcher, Joseph Palamar has collected hair samples from young adults who visit nightclubs and attend festivals outside New York City. The samples were used to test for 82 different drugs, including new psychoactive substances.

The affiliate researcher, Dr Salomone, said that hair testing is a well-established and reliable method for carrying out forensic investigations into drug exposure. He said, “Hair is the most helpful specimen when either long-time retrospective information on drug consumption is of interest. Most NPS can no longer be detected in urine, blood, or saliva within hours or days after consumption, but hair is particularly beneficial because many drugs can be detected months after use.”