title: The concentrations, appearance and taste of nine sedating drugs dissolved in four different beverages.
abstract: Sedating drugs are reported to be used in cases where people have been drugged unwittingly. In the present experiments we studied whether nine sedating medicinal drugs would dissolve in four different beverages to reach concentrations which could possibly cause impairment and whether the drugs altered the appearance and taste of the beverages. Nine sedating medicinal drugs were added separately to water, beer, Coca-Cola and ethanol. Drug concentrations were measured 5, 10, 20 and 40 min after spiking. The amount of drug in one swallow (50 mL) was calculated. Appearance and taste were recorded after 10 min. Flunipam, Sobril, Valium and Xanor dissolved faster than Rohypnol, Imovane, Somadril, Rivotril and Dolcontin. Ten minutes after adding Flunipam, Sobril, Imovane (in beer and Coca-Cola), Valium and Xanor, the concentrations had reached more than 50% of maximum theoretical concentration. Most of the drugs caused sediment, pieces and/or turbidity in one or more of the beverages. Some of the solutions were dyed from added Rohypnol (turquoise or green), Dolcontin (red) and Valium (yellow). Flunipam and Valium caused extensive frothing in beer. The tastes of Imovane and Somadril were distinct in all the beverages, while the taste of other drug solutions was less distinct. The ingestion of all solutions could probably have caused impairment. All the nine drugs were, however, apparent to the consumer from the altered appearance and/or taste of the beverages.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Forensic Toxicology and Drug Abuse, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway. vigdis.olsen@fhi.no
authors.forename: Vigdis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Ingebjørg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gustavsen
authors.forename: Jørgen G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bramness
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasvold
authors.forename: Ritva
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karinen
authors.forename: Asbjørg S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Christophersen
authors.forename: Jørg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mørland
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D013649:Taste; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives