Tettey Justice, Crean Conor
Laboratory and Scientific Section, Research and Analysis Branch, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria
Laboratory and Scientific Section, Research and Analysis Branch, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Aug 5;370(1674). doi: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0265.
The analysis of substances of abuse remains one of the most matured areas in forensic science with a strong scientific basis, namely analytical chemistry. The current evolving drug markets, characterized by the global emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the need for forensic scientists to identify an unprecedented and ever-increasing number of NPS, presents a unique challenge to this discipline. This article looks at the current situation with NPS at the global level, and the challenges posed to the otherwise technically robust forensic science discipline of analysis of substances of abuse. It discusses the preparedness of forensic science to deal with the current situation and identifies the need for a shift in forensic science practice, especially one which embraces research and looks beyond normal casework in order to provide the much needed data for developing effective policy responses to the NPS problem.
滥用物质分析仍然是法医学中最成熟的领域之一，有着坚实的科学基础，即分析化学。当前不断演变的毒品市场，其特点是全球范围内新型精神活性物质（NPS）的出现，以及法医科学家需要鉴定数量空前且不断增加的新型精神活性物质，这给该学科带来了独特的挑战。本文探讨了全球范围内新型精神活性物质的现状，以及给原本技术强大的滥用物质分析法医学学科带来的挑战。它讨论了法医学应对当前形势的准备情况，并确定了法医学实践需要转变，特别是要进行研究并超越常规案件工作，以便为制定应对新型精神活性物质问题的有效政策提供急需的数据。
