title: Concentrations of cocaine and its major metabolite benzoylecgonine in blood samples from apprehended drivers in Sweden.
abstract: Cocaine and its major metabolite benzoylecgonine (BZE) were determined in blood samples from people arrested in Sweden for driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) over a 5-year period (2000-2004). Venous blood or urine if available, was subjected to a broad toxicological screening analysis for cannabis, cocaine metabolite, amphetamines, opiates and the major benzodiazepines. Verification and quantitative analysis of cocaine and BZE in blood was done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) at limits of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.02mg/L for both substances. Over the study period 26,567 blood samples were analyzed and cocaine and/or BZE were verified in 795 cases (3%). The motorists using cocaine were predominantly men (>96%) with an average age of 28.3+/-7.1 years (+/-standard deviation, S.D.). The concentration of cocaine was below LOQ in 574 cases although BZE was determined at mean, median and highest concentrations of 0.19mg/L, 0.12mg/L and 1.3mg/L, respectively. In 221 cases, cocaine and BZE were together in the blood samples at mean and (median) concentrations of 0.076mg/L (0.05mg/L) and 0.859mg/L (0.70mg/L), respectively. The concentrations of BZE were always higher than the parent drug; mean BZE/cocaine ratio 14.2 (median 10.9) range 1-55. Cocaine and BZE were the only psychoactive substances reported in N=61 cases at mean (median) and highest concentrations of 0.095 (0.07) and 0.5mg/L for cocaine and 1.01 (0.70) and 3.1mg/L for BZE. Typical signs of drug influence noted by the arresting police officers included bloodshot and glossy eyes, agitation, difficulty in sitting still and incoherent speech.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Artillerigatan 12, SE-581 33 Linköping, Sweden. wayne.jones@RMV.SE
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holmgren
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Kugelberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; C005618:benzoylecgonine; D003042:Cocaine