Forensic Chemistry of Substance Misuse: A Guide to Drug Control

by Leslie A King

Overview

Updating and expanding the coverage of the first Edition, this book provides a chemical background to domestic and international controls on substances of misuse. In the United Kingdom, structure-specific (generic) controls have been further developed in the past 13 years and now cover 17 groups of compounds. The focus of those controls has been on new psychoactive substances (NPS). Since 1997, over 800 NPS have been reported to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction. International generic and analogue controls are described together with a critical review of their effectiveness. Other, established, drugs are described as well as a large group of psychoactive substances that are not scheduled by the International Conventions

This book has general appeal to those needing information on illicit drugs including forensic scientists, lawyers, law enforcement agencies, drug regulatory authorities as well as graduate and postgraduate students of chemistry and the criminal law. The chapters are supported by chemical structures, numerous tables and charts, appendices, a glossary and a bibliography. This unique book is a valuable addition to the literature in this area and will be of great assistance to those studying this topic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781839164507
Publisher:	RSC
Publication date:	07/22/2022
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	446
Product dimensions:	6.15(w) x 9.20(h) x (d)

About the Author

Leslie King spent nearly thirty years in the Forensic Science Service (FSS). His responsibilities included examining items submitted for the analysis of alcohol, drugs and other substances in cases of suspected fatal poisonings or those involving offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act or the Road Traffic Act. As a result, he has given evidence in the Criminal and Coroners' Courts as an expert witness on many occasions. Before retiring from the FSS in 2001, he was Head of the Drugs Intelligence Unit for ten years. In that role he was responsible for maintaining a UK drug seizure database, providing technical advice on the chemistry and legislation of drugs and their precursors to law enforcement agencies, forensic scientists and UK Government as well as international organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Commission. Before joining the FSS, Leslie King spent eight years in the pharmaceutical industry both in the UK and in Germany. At Loughborough Universityhe carried out research on the analysis of barbiturates and on fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopy leading to MSc and PhD degrees. Leslie King is a member of the Home Office Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and author/co-author of over eighty papers on analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, toxicology, risk assessment, forensic science and the epidemiology of drug abuse and is also a member of the Editorial Board of 'Substance Use and Misuse'. He continues to work part-time as an advisor to the Department of Health and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction on matters concerning synthetic drugs and risk assessments, as well as providing training to newer Member States of the EU on drug legislation and chemistry.

Table of Contents

Drug Misuse;
International Drug Control;
Primary UK Drugs Legislation up to 1971;
The UK Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001;
Other UK Drugs Legislation since 1971;
Nomenclature;
Esters, Ethers, Salts, Homologues, Stereoisomers and Isotopes;
Structure-specific Generic Legislation;
Generic Control in Other Jurisdictions;
Generic Control: A Critique;
Analogue Legislation;
What is a Derivative?;
New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): An Old Problem;
Substances Not Listed in the International Conventions;
Amphetamine, Methylamphetamine and MDMA;
Benzodiazepines;
Cannabis and Phytocannabinoids;
Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists (SCRAs);
Cocaine, Crack and Synthetic Analogues;
Tryptamines and Lysergamides;
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Related Substances;
Morphine, Heroin and Other Opiates;
Purity, Potency, Drug Content and Prices;
Measuring Drug Harm;
Miscellaneous Issues;
Natural Products;
Drug Precursors and Intermediates;
Other Harmful Substances;
Social Drugs

Editorial Reviews

"Given the high political profile of drug use and the technical complexity of drug legislation, it follows that all participants in the legal process should be somewhat familiar with the underlying chemical principles of the many drugs on the market today" "The book is designed to appeal, not only to forensic scientists, but also to the police, custom officials, lawyers and all those with an interest in drug legislation."

Drugnet

"Leslie King is widely regarded as an authority on the chemistry and legalisation of drugs and their precursors providing advice on this subject to both the UK Government and international agencies." "This book provides the professional and academic community with an indispensable guide to the drug control legislation in the UK." "This book is a must-have reference guide for professionals involved in drug enforcement and will be a valuable teaching aid in undergraduate chemistry and forensic science programmes."

Physical Science Centre reviews