The Validity of Hair Analysis for Detecting Cocaine and Heroin Use among Addicts
- 1 January 1991
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of the Addictions
- Vol. 27 (1) , 51-69
- https://doi.org/10.3109/10826089109063462
Abstract
Radioimmunoassay of hair (RIAH) was compared with two criterion measures, confidential EMIT urinalysis and self-reporting of cocaine/heroin use, for a purposive sample of 134 persons in methadone treatment. Positive or negative RIAH was "confirmed" by urinalysis and/or self-report in 87 and 84% of the cases for cocaine and heroin (morphine), respectively. Corroborative evidence indicated that "excess" RIAH positives were attributable to the narrow window of detection for urinalysis (2 days), failure to admit drug use even to researchers, and/or inadvertent ingestion of small amounts of drug. A global self-report of cocaine use intensity was related to amount in the hair.Keywords
This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
- Hair Analysis for Drugs of AbuseJournal of Forensic Sciences, 1989
- The Accuracy of Drug Use Monitoring in Methadone TreatmentJournal of Drug Issues, 1988
- Detection of morphine in hair with the Abbott TDX.Clinical Chemistry, 1987
- Detection of Cocaine in Rats from Analysis of HairMedicine, Science and the Law, 1987
- The Validity of Methadone Clients' Self-Reported Drug UseInternational Journal of the Addictions, 1987
- Hair analysis for detection of phencyclidine in newly admitted psychiatric patientsAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 1985
- Opiate levels in hairForensic Science International, 1983
- Detection of Basic Drugs (Methamphetamine, Antidepressants, and Nicotine) from Human HairJournal of Forensic Sciences, 1983
- Hair as the sample in assessing morphine and cocaine addiction.Clinical Chemistry, 1981
- Detection of Phencyclidine in HairJournal of Forensic Sciences, 1981