Narcotic and Psychotropic substances

Bhinu Shova Tuladhar

MSc.(Chem), MSc.(Forensic Science))
Drug Abuse ?
 When drugs are used in a manner or amount
inconsistent with the medical or social patterns
of a culture.
 the use of pharmaceuticals outside the scope of
sound medical practice.

Effect? Dependence
Capable of producing dependence, either
Physical or Psychological.
Drugs of abuse

 Narcotic drug :
Medically, a narcotic drug is any drug that produces
sleep or stupor and also relieves pain.
Legally, the term means any drug defined as such under
the UN 1961 convection.

 Psychotropic substance:
Medically, any drug or agent having a particular affinity
for effect on the psyche.
Legally, It means any natural material in schedule I, II or
IV under the UN 1971 convection.
 How are they administered (mode of using)?

Smoking Sniffing Swallow Injecting

 DRUGS OF ABUSE
NARCOTIC
SEDATIVES /
HALLUCINOGENS HYPNOTICS
Opiates Non-opiates
Cannabis Barbiturates
Opium Pethidine
*Herbal cannabis Methaqualone
Morphine Methadon *Cannabis Tranquillizers
Codeine
Dextropropoxyphene resin
Heroin *Diazepam
*Cannabis oil
Buprenorphine *Nitrazepam
LSD
*Oxazepam
Mescalin
STIMULANTS *Lorazepam
Cocaine
Amphetamine
Methamphetamin
e
MDEA
 Illicit opiate narcotic drugs

OPIUM POPPYS

Heroin hydrochloride
Buprenorphine tablets & injections
(Diacetylmophine base)
 Illicit drugs of abuse Samples

Cocaine hydrochloride

Methamphitamine (Ice) LSD (Lysergide)

 Narcotic Drugs ?
“Narcotic” refers to opium, opium derivatives, and their
semi-synthetic substitutes. (Opiates)
A more current term refers narcotic drugs, is “opioid.”

What is their origin?

1.Natural 2.Semi-synthetic 3.Synthetic

1. The poppy papaver somniferum is the source for all natural

opioids (morphine, codeine, thebaine etc.)
2. Semi-synthetic opioids are synthesized from naturally
occurring opium products, such as morphine and codeine,
and include heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone
3. Synthetic opioids are made entirely in a lab and include
Buprenorphine , Meperidine, Pethidine, Dextropropoxyphene,
Methadone, and Fentanyl.
What do they look like?

Narcotics/opioids come in various forms, including:

➔ Tablets, capsules, skin patches, powder, chunks
in varying colors (from white to shades of brown
and black), liquid form for oral use and injection,
syrups, suppositories, and lollipops.

How are they abused (mode of using)?

➔ Narcotics/opioids can be swallowed, smoked,
sniffed, or injected.
What are Stimulants?
Stimulants speed up the body’s systems.
This class of drugs includes:
Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, MDMA, and
Methcathinone

What do they look like?

Pills, powder, rocks, and injectable liquids

How are they abused?

 Pills or Capsules are swallowed.
 Smoking, snorting, or injecting stimulants produces a
sudden sensation known as a “rush” or a “flash.”
What are HALLUCINOGENS ?

 Hallucinogens can be synthetically produced in

illicit laboratories or are found in plants.
 Hallucinogens are used for their ability to alter
human perception and mood. (Hallucinogenic
mushrooms, LSD, MDMA or ecstasy and Cannabis)

 Hallucinogens are typically taken orally or can be

smoked.
What are HALLUCINOGENS ?

 Hallucinogens can be synthetically produced in

illicit laboratories or are found in plants.
 Hallucinogens are used for their ability to alter
human perception and mood. (Hallucinogenic
mushrooms, LSD, MDMA or ecstasy and Cannabis)

 Hallucinogens are typically taken orally or can be

smoked.
 What are depressants?
 Depressants will put you to sleep, relieve anxiety and
muscle spasms, and prevent seizures. (Barbituates,
Benzodiazepams etc)
 Generally, legitimate pharmaceutical products are diverted
to the illicit market. Teens can obtain depressants from the
family medicine cabinet, friends, family members, the
Internet, doctors, and hospitals.
 Depressants come in the form of pills, syrups, and injectable
liquids.
 Depressants are also used with other drugs to add to
the other drugs’ high potent.
 Depressants like GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) and
Rohypnol® are also misused to facilitate sexual assault.
Rohypnol® is a trade name for flunitrazepam drug.
 Analytical operations for Drugs of abuse
identification

•Presumptive test (Field test)

•Identification test
•Confirmative test
•Quantitative test
 Presumptive Test (Field Test)
 It is actually the screening of drugs groups. It
can be performed in the fields also. This test
depends on the color indication by the different
groups of drugs of abuse.

 Positive result indicates the possible presence

of substances for which the test is intended.

 Negative result indicates sample may not

contain controlled materials for which the test
is intended.
Performing Presumptive Test
 Field Tests for Narcotic and phycotropic drugs
Test A (Marquis Test) Colour

Opium Purple violet

Morphine, Codeine, Heroin, Violet reddish purple

Amphetamines Orange brown

Methamphetamine yellowish green

Test B (Fast Blue B salt Test)

Cannabis Purple red

Test C (Simon Test)

Methamphetamine Blue
Identification Test :

After screening tests, two of the identification tests should

be performed for confirmation of the individual drugs in
seized samples.

Following different reliable methods are used for drug

identification in most of the Laboratories.

- Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)

- Gas Liquid Chromatography (GLC)
- High performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Infra- red Spectroscopy (IR)
- Ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV)
Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)

 TLC method is reliable, cheap and easy for

separation of drugs, poisons and different
chemical substances.

 TLC Technique can not only identify drugs but

also identify mixtures of drugs and other
components.

 Identification of drugs along with reference

standards will be confirmed by performing two
different solvent systems in TLC.
 Analyzing samples by TLC

Loading sample extracts

Sample extracts TLC Plate

Developing sample in Visualizing the sample
TLC tank by spraying the reagent
 TLC Results
TLC Solvent system : TLC Solvent system : Ethyl
Chloroform : Methanol acetate: Methanol: Ammonia
(90:10) (75:15:10)

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1.Heroin 2.Methadone 3. NPD 5 (sample) 4.Chlorpromazine
The basic chromatographic measurement of a substance in TLC is Rf value.
Rf value is specific for each substance in the particular solvent system.

Distance travelled by substance from the origin.

Rf value = -----------------------------------------------------------------
Distance the solvent front travels from the origin
Gas chromatography ( GC) Technique

Gas chromatograph
 Confirmation by GC

Reference Chlorpromazine Sample

Confirmative Test
 Further confirmation by following high techniques.

-GCMS (Gas Chromatograph Mass spectrometer)

-LCMS (Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer)

Basics of
Gaschromatograph Massspectometer (GCMS)
Confirmation of Heroin by GCMS using Library search GCMS data.
Quantitavive Test
 It is essential for estimation of the actual
percentage of drugs of abuse in the total
amount of seized samples.
 In most of the countries’ Law, the accused
person will be punished on the basis of
the quantitative estimation of drugs in the
seized samples.
 Quantitave estimation is performed by
using GLC, HPLC and GCMS and also by
chemical assay methods.
 Results of Analysis

 Positive
( Found or detected the intended drugs in the samples)
→ Presence of Narcotic/ Psychotropic drugs in the samples
 Negative
( Could not found or detected the intended drugs in the
samples)

→ Absence of Narcotic/ Psychotropic drugs (that were tested)

in the samples
 LEGAL ASPECTS
Nepalese Law Context:
 Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act, 2033 (1976)
Date of Authentications and publication : 2033/6/10 ( 22 sep 1976}
 ACT NO. 24 OF THE YEAR 2033 (1976)
1. Narcotic Drugs (Control) (First Amendment) Act, 2043 2043/7/24
2. Narcotic Drugs (Control) (Second Amendment) Act, 2044 2044/6/9
3. Some Nepal Acts Amendment Act, 2048 2049/1/8
4. Narcotic Drugs (Control) (Forth Amendment) Act, 2049
2050/2/32
5. Some Nepal Acts Amendment Act, 2055 2055/10/7
3. Definition : In this Act, Unless the subject or context
otherwise requires :-
(a) "Narcotic Drug" means:
(1) Cannabis/ marijuana
(2) Medicinal cannabis/ marijuana
(3) Opium
(4) Processed opium
(5) Medicinal opium
(6) Plants and leaves of coca, and
§(6A) Any substances to be prepared by mixing opium
and extract coca, including mixture or salt.

(7) Any natural or synthetic narcotic drug or psychotropic substances

and their salts and other substances as may be specified by the
Government of Nepal by a notification published in the Nepal Gazette,
from time to time,
Nepal Gazette, 2050/122/29 Published
Nepal Gazette, 2051/02/02 Published