Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: thedoc on 27/03/2012 15:46:55

Title: How best to find out how prevalent drug use is?
Post by: thedoc on 27/03/2012 15:46:55

Scientists submerge themselves in sewage for an indication of drug use.

Read the whole story on our  website by clicking here (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/news-archive/news/2525/)

  

Title: Re: How best to find out how prevalent drug use is?
Post by: CliffordK on 28/03/2012 12:21:30

Hmmm,
Interesting.
At times, people have been encouraged to flush excess pills down the toilet.  Obviously not metabolised in a person, but also potentially confounding the study.

Another potential "waste source" might be hair from barber and beauty shops.  The advantage being that one could look at both community and individual patterns (with the delay and averaging from hair samples).

Title: Re: How best to find out how prevalent drug use is?
Post by: Lmnre on 28/03/2012 13:38:10

Italy's river of cocaine puts nation on the alert (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/world/europe/12iht-cocaine.html)