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. 2024 Dec 20;17(12):1728.
doi: 10.3390/ph17121728.

Application of LC-MS/MS for the Identification of Drugs of Abuse in Driver's License Regranting Procedures

Roberta Tittarelli  1 , Lucrezia Stefani  1   2 , Leonardo Romani  1   2 , Federico Mineo  1 , Francesca Vernich  1 , Giulio Mannocchi  1 , Maria Rosaria Pellecchia  1 , Carmelo Russo  1   2 , Luigi Tonino Marsella  1
Affiliations

Application of LC-MS/MS for the Identification of Drugs of Abuse in Driver's License Regranting Procedures

Roberta Tittarelli et al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Drugged driving is associated with an increased risk of road accidents worldwide. In Italy, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and drugs is a reason for driving disqualification or revocation of the driving license. Drivers charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs must attend a Local Medical Commission (LMC) to undergo mandatory examinations to regain the suspended license. Our study mainly aims to report on the analysis performed on hair samples collected from 7560 drivers who had their licenses suspended for drugged or drunk driving between January 2019 and June 2024. Methods: A rapid, sensitive, and selective method for the determination of ethyl glucuronide in hair by UPLC/MS-MS was developed and fully validated. Results: The most frequently detected substances were cocaine (ecgonine methyl ester, norcocaine, and benzoylecgonine) and cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and cannabinol), followed by opiates (codeine, morphine, and 6-MAM), methadone (EDDP), and amphetamines (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, and MDEA). To perform a more in-depth analysis, we also compared hair color with the drug classes that tested positive. The results showed a significant prevalence of dark hair that tested positive for one or more substances, followed by gray/white hair and light hair. Conclusions: Our study provides an interesting and alarming insight into drug exposure in the general population with serious public health threats, discussing the main aspects of hair matrix analysis and focusing on its advantages and reliability in the interpretation of results.

Keywords: DUID; UPLC/MS-MS; driving fitness evaluation; driving license; drugs of abuse; forensic toxicology; hair analysis; multiple drug consumption; road accidents.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Total number of drivers attending the laboratory for each year under investigation. In blue is shown the clear predominance of males over the number of females, which is shown in red.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Total number of drivers attending the laboratory for each year under investigation. In blue is shown the clear predominance of males over the number of females, which is shown in red.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The prevalence of the drugs detected in Group A compared to the total of drivers who tested positive for a single substance (n = 496).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Drivers who tested positive for one (Group A) or more (Group B) illicit substances split by sex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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