Early Warning System for Illicit Drug Use at Large Public Events: Trace Residue Analysis of Discarded Drug Packaging Samples

H West; J Fitzgerald; K Hopkins; E Li; N Clark; S Tzanetis; SL Greene; GE Reid

Journal article

Early Warning System for Illicit Drug Use at Large Public Events: Trace Residue Analysis of Discarded Drug Packaging Samples

H West, J Fitzgerald, K Hopkins, E Li, N Clark, S Tzanetis, SL Greene, GE Reid

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry | Published : 2021

DOI: 10.1021/jasms.1c00232

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Abstract

Inspired by Locard's exchange principle, which states "every contact leaves a trace", a trace residue sampling strategy has been developed for the analysis of discarded drug packaging samples (DPS), as part of an early warning system for illicit drug use at large public events including music/dance festivals. Using direct analysis in real time/mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry, rapid and high-throughput identification and characterization of a wide range of illicit drugs and adulterant substances was achieved, including in complex polydrug mixtures and at low relative ion abundances. A total of 1362 DPS were analyzed either off-site using laboratory-based instrumentation or on-s..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

John Fitzgerald Author

Gavin Reid Author

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank Graham Hilder for his expert assistance with customization of the mobile analytical laboratory, and Jim Tsiotinas and Tom Hennessy (Agilent Technologies Australia) for their collaboration and loan of the Ultivo triple quadrupole mass spectrometer used in this study. Funding for this study was provided by the University of Melbourne Proof of Concept Fund and from the Victoria State Government Department of Health.