The Forensic Toxicology of Cocaine (1971–1976)

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Abstract
It is the general purpose of this study-report to assess the role of cocaine in postmortem, medieolegal investigation, and a primary, particular objective is to determine whether cocaine is significant as a causative agent in a growing number of sudden, unexplained deaths. The significance can be evaluated in terms of either the absolute number of deaths directly attributable to cocaine ingestion or relative to fatalities caused by other abused and misused drugs. A total of only 111 cases involving cocaine occurred at 27 study sites, encompassing a jurisdictional population of 79.2 million over a five- to six-year period ending in mid-1976. Further, of the total cases, only 26 involved cocaine alone.