Policing Australia’s ‘heroin drought’: using an agent-based model to simulate alternative outcomes

Our paper examines how street-level drug markets adapt to a macro-level disruption to the supply of heroin, under three experimental conditions of street-level drug law enforcement: random patrol, hot-spot policing and problem-orientated policing. We utilize an agent-based model to explore the relative impact of abstractions of these three law enforcement strategies after simulating an ‘external shock’ to the supply of heroin to the street-level drug market. We use 3 years of data, which include the period of the ‘heroin drought’ in Melbourne (Australia) that commenced in late 2000 and early 2001, to measure changes in a selected range of crime and harm indicators under the three policing conditions. Our results show that macro-level disruptions to drug supply have a limited impact on street-level market dynamics when there is a ready replacement drug. By contrast, street-level police interventions are shown to vary in their capacity to alter drug market dynamics. Importantly, our laboratory abstraction of problem-orientated policing is shown to be the optimal strategy to disrupt street-level injecting-drug markets, reduce crimes and minimize harm, regardless of the type of drug being supplied to the market.

毒品犯罪案件嫌疑人的讯问

近20年来,毒品犯罪在全球迅猛发展,我国受其波及,成为增长率最高的一类刑事犯罪。其犯罪手法隐蔽,侥幸、畏罪心理严重,讯问难度大。须讯问与调查紧密结合,妥善运用讯问策略、方法,才能圆满完成讯问任务。     

A TLC visualisation reagent for dimethylamphetamine and other abused tertiary amines

Application of citric acid/acetic anhydride reagent (CAR), a colour reagent selective for tertiary amines in solution, improves detection of abused tertiary amino drugs on the TLC plate. The plate is pretreated by a brief immersion in phosphoric acid/acetone solution to suppress colouration. After suppressing, the plate is sprayed with CAR and heated at 100 degrees C, causing tertiary amines to turn red purple within 3 minutes. The sensitivity of this new CAR method is 2.5 to 15-times greater than that of conventional detection with Dragendorff reagent for some of the tertiary amines dimethylamphetamine, methylephedrine, levomepromazine, chlorpromazine, caffeine, theophylline, theobromine and nicotine. This present method provides rapid TLC detection of abused tertiary amino drugs such as phenethylamine, phenothiazine, xanthine derivative, nicotine and narcotics.     

日伪在南京地区的毒品政策初探

日军占领南京期间,勾结伪政权实行毒品专卖政策,利用宏济善堂系统贩售鸦片,以洋行为掩饰推销海洛因等烈性毒品,官私销售双管齐下,在攫取高额利润的同时却使南京地区烟毒泛滥,社会风气严重恶化。     

冬凌草甲素诱导多药耐药细胞系K562／A02凋亡,逆转耐药性？…

目的:探讨冬凌草甲素诱导多药耐药细胞系K562/A02凋亡、逆转耐药性的作用.方法:以不同浓度的冬凌草甲素处理K562/A02及敏感株K562/S细胞,流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率,四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)比色法检测半数抑制率(IC50),分析冬凌草甲素对两种细胞柔红霉素(DNR)、高三尖杉酯碱(HHT)敏感性的影响,流式细胞仪检测冬凌草甲素对两种细胞内DNR浓度的影响.结果:冬凌草甲素可诱导两种细胞凋亡,两者在各浓度、各时点无显著差异;可显著逆转K562/A02细胞对DNR、HHT的耐药性,提高该细胞内DNR的浓度.结论:冬凌草甲素对K562/A02细胞有诱导凋亡、逆转耐药性的作用,是一种很有希望的抗白血病中药.     

Evaluation and applicability of Alere iCup DX 14 for rapid postmortem urine drug screening at autopsy

Performing point‐of‐care urine drug screen testing at autopsy by a forensic pathologist may provide an early indication of the presence of analytes of interest during autopsy. An evaluation for the screening of 14 classes of common drugs of abuse in postmortem urine by the point‐of‐care screening device, Alere iCup DX 14, is presented. One hundred ninety postmortem urine samples were screened with the iCup occurring at autopsy by the forensic pathologist. Positive and negative results obtained from the screening kit were evaluated against confirmatory test results obtained using routine forensic toxicology analyses that employed LC‐MS/MS and GC‐MS to detect a combination of over 85 common drugs of abuse and medications. Sensitivity for each respective iCup drug class ranged from 66% (buprenorphine) to 100% (methadone, tricyclic antidepressants). Specificity for each respective iCup drug class ranged from 89% (benzodiazepines) to 100% (amphetamines, barbiturates, buprenorphine, 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methadone). Positive predictive values ranged from 44% (benzodiazepines) to 100% (amphetamines, barbiturates, buprenorphine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methadone), while negative predictive values ranged from 96% (methamphetamine) to 100% (barbiturates, methadone, tricyclic antidepressants). A high false‐positive rate was yielded by the benzodiazepine class. The lack of fentanyl screening in the point‐of‐care device is a significant limitation considering its prolific prevalence in forensic casework. The results obtained in the study should be acknowledged when considering the use of the Alere iCup DX 14 in the context of postmortem casework to help indicate potential drug use contemporaneously with autopsy and when requiring such preliminary results prior to the release of a final forensic toxicology report.     

人体毛发中硝甲西泮的HPLC-MS/MS检测

目的建立测定涉毒人员毛发样本中硝甲西泮的液相色谱-质谱/质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)分析方法。方法对质谱主要参数进行优化,采用电喷雾多反应监测模式(MRM)测定不同浓度标准样品并建立标准曲线,通过准确度、灵敏度和实际案例检材的检验对方法进行评价。结果标准溶液最低检出限0.1ng/mL,线性范围宽,R²>0.999,空白毛发外添加标样回收率>80%。结论优化后的毛发样本中硝甲西泮的HPLC-MS/MS操作简便快捷,灵敏度高,重现性好,具备定性定量的适用性和可靠性。     

The Relationship Between Partner Abuse and Substance Use Among Women Mandated to Drug Treatment

This study investigates the relationship between substance use and partner abuse among women (N = 1,025) who entered drug-treatment programs through the criminal justice systems in New York City and Portland, Oregon. Self-report data on substance use and partner abuse indicate that although the rate of partner abuse in both cities is well above the national average, the less substance-involved women in Portland reported more abuse than their New York counterparts. Our analyses suggest that the relationship between partner abuse and substance use during conflicts varies within the population of women offenders who are heavily drug-involved, with women in Portland reporting a greater direct link between partner abuse and substance use. The findings indicate that there is a need for drug-treatment providers to understand their clients' victimization histories and the relationship between partner abuse and substance use in order to engage clients in the treatment process and help them learn how to avoid being victimized in the future.     

毒品犯罪侦查取证问题反思——以批捕、审查起诉和审判为视角

毒品犯罪证据与其它类型犯罪证据相较而言有独特之处 ,一般而言 ,毒品犯罪的证据收集工作也较其它犯罪证据的收集更难。有时毒品犯罪由于证据问题不能定案 ,也并不能完全归因为收集困难 ,而往往是在侦查取证实践中存在一些问题。通过对实际案例的分析更能有助于问题的解决。     

试论运用诱惑侦查手段侦缉毒品犯罪的必要性和合理性

在我国,尽管现行法律尚未对诱惑侦查在毒品犯罪侦查中的运用作出规定,但从缉毒实践来看,诱惑侦查的运用还是相当广泛的。有人对此提出了尖锐的批判,但我们认为在当前的国情状态下运用诱惑侦查手段侦查毒品犯罪有其存在的必要性和合理性,这主要体现在以下三个方面:毒品犯罪的自身特点决定了诱惑侦查运用的必要性和合理性;我国有限的缉毒资源与日益严峻的毒品犯罪形势之间的矛盾决定了诱惑侦查运用的必要性和合理性;运用诱惑侦查手段侦查毒品犯罪是当今世界绝大多数国家的通例。