Problems of Forensic Sciences 2014 Vol. 98 (XCVIII) 138-150
ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN AMPHETAMINE CONTENT IN POWDERS ORIGINATING FROM THE DRUG MARKET
Bogumiła BYRSKA, Dariusz ZUBA
Institute of Forensic Research, Kraków, Poland
Streszczenie
The paper shows how the amphetamine content has varied in powders secured on the drug market in Poland in the period 2003–2013. Qualitative analyses of the studied powders were carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), whilst quantitative analyses were carried out by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). As a result of the conducted research, it was ascertained that the average mass of individual portions of amphetamine sold on the drug market in the studied period was in the range 0.3–0.5 g. In the 11 years covered by the study, the average concentration of amphetamine decreased fourfold from 33% to 8%. Together with the drop in concentration of amphetamine in the studied samples, the resultant size of the dose of this psychotropic substance decreased from 130 mg in 2003 to 40 mg in 2013. Samples sent in to the Institute of Forensic Research contained other biologically active substances apart from amphetamine, amongst which caffeine was the most prevalent. Furthermore, medicines, and from 2010, new psychoactive substances (NPS) – referred to as dopalacze – were discovered in the samples. The conducted study has allowed us to update our knowledge on the subject of the purity of amphetamine samples as well as the size of portions and doses.
Słowa kluczowe
Amphetamine; Analysis of trends; Dose; Narcotics.