The emergence of globally coordinated standards for detecting illegal drugs is a significant step forward in the fight against narcotics. Covering traditional drugs, but with a heavy focus on the Fentanyl and Spice, these standards are appearing in the Americas, Asia, and across Europe to support sectors such as prisons and law enforcement in tackling the escalating drug crisis. Although the standards are not yet mandatory, some manufacturers are voluntarily developing compliant trace detectors in anticipation of a further rollout.
Detection technologies are crucial in the ongoing fight against illegal and harmful drugs. This includes Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid that can be produced very cheaply and sold for huge profits in prisons, making it a popular choice for suppliers and dealers. From the inmates’ point of view, the drug is odorless, only briefly retained by the body’s system, and fulfills the need to alleviate boredom and pass the time.
Spice has been difficult or even impossible to detect – until now. This makes it a good time to invest in the latest detection technology.
A moving target
The use of drugs in prisons is insidious, often leading to violence, unrest, illness, and debt. The side effects are also unpredictable and life-threatening, ranging from agitation, anxiety, tachycardia, high blood pressure, seizures, hallucinations, and suicidal thoughts. As a result, the prevalence of Spice in prisons is exacerbating an already under-staffed and straining system. Dealing with extreme patterns of behaviour, hostility, and intimidation put unwelcome pressure on resources, and sending one prisoner to the hospital for Spice-related incidents can tie up four members of staff for 24 hours.
Spice can enter the system in many ways. The drug is often produced in garages and sheds using chemicals bought online and then transported in small packages through the postal or parcel courier systems. The disparity between the cost of production and revenue means there is significant profit to be made even if only 30% makes it through. What’s more, these packages are “hidden in plain sight” among the tsunami of items travelling around the world as a result of the rapid growth in e-commerce.
One of the key problems in detecting Spice is that its composition is constantly evolving. The substance is part of a group of new psychoactive substances (NPS), which are unregulated, mind-altering substances known for many years as ‘legal highs’. Laws covering individual chemical compounds were continually skirted by producers who simply changed the molecular structure, leaving legislators playing catchup. In 2016, new, blanket legislation closed this loophole and finally made NPS illegal.
Cost-efficient and effective detection technology
Detecting Spice has traditionally been difficult. Now, new tech is helping in the fight by focusing on key chemical compounds found in the vast majority of Spice substances. The standards list two to three compounds, but there are trace detectors exceeding this requirement and targeting six which can be identified from samples smaller than a microgram.
Trace detection systems such as the IONSCAN 600, manufactured by Smiths Detection, rely on ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) technology to detect the presence of trace amounts of narcotics unseen by the human eye. This detection method utilizes a swab, which is swiped across the surfaces of clothing, packages, or belongings and then analyzed by the detector. The presence of a trace amount of a narcotic can provide law enforcement and security personnel evidence of narcotic possession and lead them to larger amounts. Trace detection allows for a high volume of people and objects to be screened quickly.
IONSCAN 600 has made the detection of narcotics such as synthetic cannabinoids cost-effective due to the system only needing low-cost disposable swabs to operate the system. The IONSCAN 600 is also highly effective in intercepting hard to detect narcotics, such as those absorbed in the paper. For prisons and jails, proprietary detection algorithms can easily be switched by the user to vary the sensitivity for inmates and visitors. Therein, the greatest cost savings can be realized by preventing overdoses and the liability they pose to a facility.
For more information on Spice and Fentanyl, and how advanced technology can be used to detect narcotics, please visit Smiths Detection.
