[Hair analysis of abused and therapeutic drugs in forensic toxicology]

Abstract

Hair analysis for abused drugs has been gaining increasing significance in forensic sciences. Hair is a special matrix for the retrospective investigation of chronic drug abuse or poisoning in criminal cases and allows to demonstrate with sensitive methods even a single administration in low amount. Segmental hair analysis can yield the information about the time course of the substance use. The background of drug incorporation mechanism is not yet understood in full details and cannot be evaluated exactly in all cases. The hair sampling, sample preparation, analytical performance are very important for final results. The outcomes of hair analysis have been reviewed by dividing into six groups: opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabinoids, abused therapeutic drugs and the markers of chronic alcohol consumption.