Cellmark is part of one of the UK’s largest forensic service providers to police forces and other law enforcement organisations. In August last year we became part of the Eurofins Scientific Group, an international life sciences company providing analytical testing services, including 14 forensic and toxicology laboratories within Europe.
This network of laboratories allows us to pool knowledge and provide an insight into the latest drug trends. Listed below are some of the key trends seen in the second half of 2024.
Key Trends:
- Continued growth of synthetics
- Increased prevalence of ketamine
- Wide deviation in purity of traditional core drugs of abuse
Continued growth of synthetics
A synthetic drug has been made artificially using a combination of chemicals or plant-based drugs. The potency of these artificially made substances can vary but is often much higher than naturally occurring alternatives. One of the most commonly available synthetic drug groups are phenethylamines, such as amphetamine and methamphetamines.
Phenethylamines are a group of synthetic drugs that include amphetamine and methamphetamines as well as others. Cellmark’s competitively priced standard panel includes both amphetamine and some methamphetamines (MDMA/ecstasy, methamphetamine, MDEA, MBDB and MDA) enabling you to affordably detect the most commonly used drugs so that you’re less likely to miss out on a piece of valuable evidence.
Increased prevalence of ketamine
We are not the only ones that have noticed an increase in the recent use of ketamine. Usage has reached record levels, prompting the UK government to investigate reclassifying ketamine from a Class B substance to Class A in January of this year.
By understanding the effects of ketamine, withdrawal symptoms, and how long it can stay in the system, you can be in a better position to identify the signs and when to instruct a test. Our ketamine fact sheet can be found here.
Wide deviation in purity of traditional core drugs of abuse
Whilst the average purities of cocaine and crack cocaine remain at high levels, the average purity of heroin has fallen to its lowest level since the end of 2012.
Drug purity refers to the percentage of the substance that is the intended drug compared to the total sample. A higher drug purity could support a donor’s argument that they have only used a drug once, as they might get a similar result as a regular user of lower purity drugs.
If you require expert advice or would like to receive a quote for drug testing, you can contact our customer service team by calling 0800 036 2522 or emailing info@cellmark.co.uk.
Alternatively, receive a quote at any time using our online quote generator.
This article was submitted to be published by Cellmark as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Family Lawyer. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Family Lawyer.
