Evaluation of cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis use in university students through hair analysis: preliminary results

The evaluation of drug abuse in a defined population was performed through toxicological hair analysis. Hair samples from university students ranging from 18 to 25 years of age were anonymously collected and screened for coca ine, amphetamines and cannabinoids by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Positive resu lts (cut-off values adopted were 2 ng/mg for cocaine and amphetamines and 0 .5 ng/mg for cannabinoids) were confirmed by GC/MS. Preliminary results sho wed 19% of positive results for cocaine on 200 samples analysed. No confirm ed positive results were obtained for amphetamine analysis. RIA technique d emonstrated its unsuitability for cannabinoids preliminary screening on hai r, giving a high percent of false positive results. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scien ce Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.