Overview

This Topic will introduce students to the types of drugs that are encountered in forensic casework, their analysis, and their production. Students will be introduced to the contribution that forensic scientists can make to drug law enforcement and supply reduction. Laboratory work contributes to the topic content by introducing students … For more content click the Read More button below.

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Tuition pattern

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Aims

The broad aims of this Topic are to introduce students to the field of illicit drug manufacture and analysis and the special issues associated with the interpretation of analytical results in the context of illicit drug seizure examinations.

More specifically, the aims of this Topic are to develop students who are able to:

  1. understand the main illicit drug types in national and international  markets
  2. understand the key precursors and synthetic methods used in the synthesis of certain illicit drugs
  3. be aware of drug profiling and advanced analytical techniques that can assist illicit drug law enforcement and supply reduction 

Learning outcomes

On completion of this topic you will be expected to be able to:
1.
Discuss the illicit drug market and its recent trends nationally and internationally as well as clandestine drug laboratory investigations
2.
Analyse common syntheses employed in clandestine laboratories for the production of methamphetamine, cannabis products, MDMA, cathinones, and key precursors
3.
Expertly discuss the formation of and identity of route-specific by-products and condition-specific by-products in illicit drug synthesis
4.
Appreciate the differences between, and the impacts of, strategic and tactical law enforcement measures
5.
Apply the contribution of GC-MS and stable isotope measurements to strategic and tactical law enforcement measures
6.
Discuss the contributions surveys, police interdictions, and wastewater analysis provide to measuring illicit drug consumption

Assessments

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Current students should refer to FLO for detailed assessment information, including due dates. Assessment information is accurate at the time of publishing.

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Requisites information

Pre-requisites:
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