Forensic

Chemistry
and
Toxicology
Lecture 3

Prepared by: John Patrick De

CHAPTER V: Drugs

Drugs
Classification of Drugs
 What is Drug?
• Is a chemical substance that brings about
physical, physiological, behavioral and/or
psychological change in a person taking it.

• All medicines as drugs, but not all drugs are

medicine drug.

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Medicinal drugs
• A substance which, when taken into the human
body cures illness and/or relieves
signs/symptoms of disease.
Dangerous drugs
• A substance affecting the central nervous
system which, when taken into the human body
brings about physical, emotional, or behavioral
changes in a person taking it.

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 What is Drug abuse?
• Any non-medical use of drugs that causes
physical, legal, economic, or social damage to
the user or people affected by the user’s
behavior.
• Abuse usually refers to illegal drugs by may
also be applicable to drugs that are available
legally, such as prescribed medications and
certain over-the-counter medications.

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 Classification of drugs
According to origin:
• Natural drugs – are active ingredients,
secondary metabolic products of plants or other
living systems that may be isolated by
extractions.
Examples:
• Raw opium
• Marijuana
• Coca bush

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 Synthetic drugs
• Are artificially produced substances synthesized in the
laboratory for the illicit market, which is almost
manufactured from chemical compounds in illicit
laboratories.
• Examples:
• Methamphetamine
• Barbiturates

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 According to legal classification

• RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Act

of 2002)
• PD 1619 (Volatile Substances)
• RA 6425 9(Regulated and prohibited)

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 Prohibited and Regulated
(Dangerous Drugs) RA 9165
Classification: (Clandestine manufacturing process)
 Immediate precursor
 Essential Chemicals
 Narcotic, Psychotropic, and designer
(International Classification)

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 According to pharmacological definitions:

• Stimulants
• Hallucinogens
• Depressants
• Inhalants

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 Stimulants
• Drugs that increase the alertness of physical disposition.
Example: Amphetamine
Street name: Eye opener, lid poppers, pep pills, uppers, hearts
Effects: reduces appetite, relieves mental depression, comfort
fatigue, and sleepiness
General: Wakefulness increased alertness/initiative
Toxic: from restlessness to coma and death
Dangers: Dependence, overdose, violent/ bizarre behavior

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 Stimulants
Example: Shabu (Methamphetamine Hydrochloride)
Street name: poor man’s Cocaine, S, Shabs, Siopao, ubas, sha, ice
Characteristics: White, odorless crystal/ crystalline powder with a bitter
numbing taste.
How taken: Ingestion, inhalation (Chasing the dragon), sniffing, injection,
smoke.
Effects:
General: Anxiety, irritability, irrational behavior
Long-term: psychosis, difficulty in concentrating, loss of interest in
sex
Physical: chest pain, irregular heartbeat, hypertension, convulsion,
death
Dangers: injection from contaminated needles may lead to a risk of
infections.

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 Hallucinogens
• Drugs which affects sensation, thinking, self-awareness and
emotion.
Example: Ecstacy
Street name: XTC, Adam, essence, E, Herbals
Effects: exaggerated emotions, makes HR and BP hike up, dries
the mouth, stiffens arms, legs, jaw, dilates pupils of the eyes,
causes faintness, chills sweating and nausea.
How taken: Swallowing or inhalation
Dangers: It can really kill

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 Hallucinogens
Example: LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Street name: Lucy in the Sky with diamonds, wedding bells, acid, white
sugar, lighting, cubes, brain eaters.
What it is: a semi-synthetic alkaloid substance extracted from a fungus that
grows on rye, wheat, and other grains; odorless, tasteless, colorless
Effects:
Psychological – vivid hallucinations, confusion, blurring, and the
distinction between conscious and unconscious thought, etc.
Physical – dilated pupils, flushed face, increase BP
Dangers: ay cause abnormal amount of breakage of chromosomes of
WBCs that carry genes, which may result to miscarriages and birth defects.

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 Hallucinogens
Example: Marijuana
Street name: ary Jane, Flower, Pampapogi, Brownies, damo, pot, tea, joint,
dope
What it is: it comes from Cannabis Sativa L. (Indian Hemp) and looks like
fine green tobacco.
How taken: Smoke, Inhaled, Orally
Effects:
Immediate – Faster heartbeat, bloodshot eyes, dry mouth
Long-term – Chest pain, temporary loss of fertility, cancer
Dangers: sows down user’s mental and psychomotor activities, long-term
use may lead to psychological dependence, cancer

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 Depressants
Are drugs that depress or lower the functions of the Central Nervous
System
Types of depressants
Narcotics – induces sleep (Hypnotics) or stupor and relieves pain
(Analgesics)
• Something that soothes or causes a sensation of mental numbness.
• This includes opium, opiates, heroin, morphine, and cocaine
Tranquilizers – A substance that reduces anxiety, eases tension and relaxes
muscles.
Sedatives and Hypnotics- calm the nerves, reduce tension, and induce
sleep.
Ex. Barbiturates, alcohol

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Inhalants – these are any liquid, solid or mixed substance
that has the property of releasing toxic (psychoactive)
vapors or fumes.
Examples: Solvent, glue, gasoline, kerosene, paint, thinner,
etc.

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