Blood Analyses From Road Checks In Saxony On Illicit Drugs

Background: Estimates of the prevalence and patterns of illegal drug use based on different epidemiological data sources often yield inconsistent results. A new approach is the evaluation of forensic analyses of blood samples from routine police traffic checks. This previously unused data source was analysed by using a sample focusing on the true prevalence of crystal meth (CM) consumption in southern and western Saxony. Methods: A total analysis of all drug-positive tested cases (N=1.487) of the year 2014 from the Institute of Forensic Medicine Leipzig was conducted. The investigated sample was analysed. Results: Among positive tests, (meth)amphetamine with 81 % and cannabis with 39% were most prevalent; other illicit drugs were rarely detected.The maximum of measured methamphetamine concentration was 4,240.0 ng/ml, the median was 211.2 ng/ml. Among exclusive CM users, the proportion of women was higher (18.5%) than among exclusive cannabis users (7.0%), the average age of cannabis users (27 years) was lower than among CM users (31 years). Only a minority of users (1-17%) displayed behavioral problems or cognitive impairments. Discussion: The data from blood analyses after traffic checks are based on objective and precise measurements and can supplement the conventional epidemiological approaches with novel aspects concerning drug use patterns within the 'dark figure of crime (e.g. dosages, proportion of substance-tolerant users).