Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs in the Netherlands 1995–1998 in view of the German and Belgian legislation

This study presents the test results of blood and urine samples of impaired drivers in the Netherlands between January 1995 and December 1998. In this period, the blood alcohol concentrations of 11,458 samples have been determined and 1665 blood or urine samples have been analysed for drugs. The median alcohol concentration was between 1.7 and 1.8 mg/ml blood. In 80% of the 1665 analysed samples drugs were detected. At least 42% (702/1665) of the impaired drivers were poly-drug users, with cocaine present in the most frequent combinations. In the Netherlands, the procedure to prove driving under the influence is complex. This procedure can be made more efficient and more effective by embedding the analytical test results, needed to prosecute an impaired driver, in the law. In Belgium and Germany, such laws already are in force. If we would apply the qualifications of the new Belgian law on our analytical data, 67% of the impaired drivers included in this comparison could have been prosecuted without discussion in court.     

Alcohol and drug consumption among sexual offenders

Purpose

To evaluate the role of alcohol and drug consumption between sexual offenders against boys and girls.

Method

It was an observational, retrospective and cross-sectional study carried out by the Ambulatory for the treatment of sexual disorders of ABC Medical College, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil (ABSex). The sample comprised 104 convicts, over 18 years old, sentenced only for sexual crimes against children (below 11 years old). Alcohol and drug consumption, sexual abuse history, sexual impulsivity, and risk of recidivism were evaluated.

Results

The sexual offenders against boys showed higher alcohol consumption problems than sexual offenders against girls (χ² = 19.76, 1 d.f., p < 0.01). The severity of alcohol consumption was also significantly higher in the sexual offenders against non-related boys than in the sexual offenders against non-related girls (p = 0.037, ANOVA). After adjustment for other variables, such as monthly income before the penalty and alcohol consumption at the moment of the crime, the alcohol consumption severity in sexual offenders against boys was significantly higher than in sexual offenders against girls (OR = 1.05, CI 1.01–1.08, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Alcohol use or abuse is associated with the perpetration of sexual aggression. The role of alcohol consumption seems to be greater in sexual offenders against boys than in girls and this can contribute to criminal recidivism.     

Driving and the combined use of drugs and alcohol in The Netherlands

The extent and nature of the use of medicinal drugs by drivers who had undergone a blood test on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol was ascertained by analysing some 40,000 case records in which the suspect had been questioned about the use of drugs. No chemical analyses were performed. 9.7% of the road users indicated that they used drugs in combination with alcohol, and more than 50% of the drugs used must be considered to have a negative impact on driving performance. The influence of the combined use of benzodiazepines and alcohol on behaviour was also investigated. The finding here was that drivers using these drugs should be warned against the consumption of alcohol.     

Confirmation by LC–MS of drugs in oral fluid obtained from roadside testing

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of two current on-site oral fluid (OF) drug detection devices (OraLab and Dräger), as part of the Spanish participation in the Roadside Testing Assessment Project (ROSITA Project). The study was done in collaboration with the Spanish Traffic Police, in Galicia (NW Spain), during 2004 and 2005. A total of 468 drivers selected at the police controls agreed to participate through informed consent. In addition, saliva samples were collected and sent to the laboratory to confirm the on-site results. For this purpose, two different analytical liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) methods were used to detect 11 drugs or metabolites in a 300 μL sample. Simultaneous analysis of morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, MDEA, MBDB, cocaine and benzoylecgonine was carried out using 100 μL of oral fluid, after an automated solid phase extraction. A different LC–MS method was performed to detect Δ⁹-THC in 200 μL of oral fluid using liquid–liquid extraction with hexane at pH 6. Both methods were fully validated, including linearity (1–250 ng/mL, 2–250 ng/mL) recovery (>50%), within-day and between-day precision (CV < 15%), accuracy (mean relative error < 15%), limit of detection (0.5 and 1 ng/mL), quantitation (1 and 2 ng/mL) and matrix effect. All of the positive cases and a random selection of 30% of the negatives were analyzed for confirmation analysis. Good results (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value > 90%) were obtained for cocaine and opiates by OraLab, and for cocaine by Dräger. However, the results for the other compounds could be improved for both detection devices. Differences in the ease of use and in the interpretation mode (visual or instrumental) were observed.     

关于福建省苯丙胺类毒品犯罪情况的调查报告

国际反毒专家预测 :苯丙胺类毒品将是二十一世纪全世界范围内滥用最为广泛的毒品。福建省苯丙胺类毒品犯罪的特点 :1、呈现区域化特征 ;2、境内外毒贩勾结 ,团伙犯罪突出 ;3、摇头丸走私入境 ,出现了摇头丸的制造。呈上升趋势的原因 ;1、国际非法市场需求量增加 ;2、地理位置、人文因素 ;3、禁毒经费紧缺 ,力量薄弱 ;4、破案方法简单。     

从国际《刑法》的角度看新疆及其周边地区毒品犯罪

新疆的毒品问题始于20世纪80年代中后期,经过几十年的发展,新疆的吸毒人员大量增加,跨国毒品交易量和关于毒品的案件成倍上升,阿富汗逐渐取代金三角成为全球最大的毒品出货地。我国新疆地区紧邻阿富汗,是毒品运输和交易进入我国的主要通道,为此,我们应当对新疆及其周边地区的毒情加以分析,并制定出相应的对策来控制和根治这里的毒品犯罪问题。     

吸毒驾驶相关立法现状及完善建议

吸毒后驾驶行为（简称毒驾行为）是指非医疗目的服用国家管制的精神药品和麻醉药品后（查获时毒品检测呈阳性）驾驶机动车的行为^[1]。当前,我国因毒驾导致的各种问题正逐渐显现并呈愈演愈烈之势,社会焦虑感日益增强,严重威胁着道路交通安全和社会和谐稳定。我国关于毒驾的法律法规尚不完善,“毒驾入刑”仍在论证中,具体的处理程序、法律责任等尚不明确。本文就我国吸毒后驾驶相关的立法现状给予总结,并借鉴我国酒驾相关立法的规定,科学分析我国毒驾相关立法完善的难点,并提出有针对性的立法建议。     

The networks of drug offenders

The serious drug and drug smuggling offenders active in Stockholm are linked by means of co-offending to other persons in large criminal networks. Within these networks, the individuals have large numbers of superficial and transient contacts with one another. It appears to be particularly important to have contacts with other drug offenders throughout Sweden, and particularly in the Skåne region. The majority of the convicted drug offenders have a Nordic background. The study indicates that dealers in the Stockholm area know drug smugglers in Sweden’s metropolitan areas. In their turn, the drug smugglers in the metropolitan areas have contacts with persons involved in the smuggling of other goods primarily in the county of Skåne. A large proportion of the persons included in the data set were suspected of committing drug offences and appear to be focused to some extent on drug offending and on offences involving one or two illicit substances. They also engage in other types of criminal activity to a large extent, however, and are thus not exclusively specialised in drug offending. Persons involved in serious drug crime, including drug smuggling, are often males in their thirties. These individuals often choose other males as co-offenders. It is generally common to commit drug offences together with co-offenders and the most criminally active individuals are also those with the largest numbers of co-offenders. The co-offending partnerships that commit drug offences are not particularly durable over time, however, and it is unusual for drug offenders to restrict themselves to committing offences with one and the same co-offender.     

"金三角"禁毒背后的中美泰缅四边关系

早春是罂粟花开的时节.当金三角的罂粟花盛开的时候,小小的金三角却在中南半岛激起了一个不大不小的政治漩涡.为了安抚当地少数民族、巩固边境,缅甸在禁毒中一直采取极为谨慎的姿态;泰国深受缅甸毒品之害,与缅甸还存在领土纠纷,在反毒过程中不得不权衡自己的得失;美国当然重视禁毒,不过对于美国而言,让缅甸现政府倒台或许更重要;中国积极帮助缅甸禁毒,但对于影响边境安宁的迹象却也不得不加以警觉.     

A method for the rapid detection of the zopiclone degradation product 2-amino-5-chloropyridine

Zopiclone (Zimovane) is a cyclopyrrolone compound which exhibits hypnotic and sedative effects while also exhibiting anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant activities. The detection and quantification of zopiclone is difficult. It has a high molecular weight compared to most other commonly used drugs, therapeutic levels are not high, and it is unstable in nucleophilic solvents. A degradation product of zopiclone, 2-amino-5-chloropyridine (ACP) together with a method for its detection using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection has been described previously. An account is presented of a simple method for the detection of ACP using gas chromatography with mass selective detection (GC/MS) which will facilitate detection of zopiclone use as part of a routine screen.