Fingerprints Reveal History of Drug Abuse, Study

Just looking and analyzing someone's fingerprints can show you whether the person has been taking drugs or not, according to bbc.

The team at the University of Surrey showed that when cocaine is broken down in the body, the chemicals could be identified in the fingerprint.

The simple test could do a great job in prisons, drug abuse clinics and even for routine testing in the workplace. Yet, the current kit may not be practical, as it is big, like a washing machine, and could be expensive.

For drug-testing, it is important to take a fluid sample, such as blood, urine or saliva. But the scientists felt that using fingerprints would do the job fast, with samples that are not too invasive and are tough to fake, as the identity of the donor would be present in the fingerprint. The new finding would also solve many of the problems of inaccuracy, according to theindependent.

The chemicals benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine were searched out. The study was published in the journal Analyst. It explained that chemicals are produced when the body splinters cocaine, which is expressed in small quantities in sweat. Next, the chemicals are left on the paper that would check the fingerprints.

One sample of the fingerprint is analysed by a mass spectrometer, which is able to identify chemicals based on their atomic size.

The result of the test was the same as a "conventional blood test".

Dr Melanie Bailey, a lecturer in analytical and forensic science, told the BBC: "The mass spectrometer is the same size as a washing machine and what we are currently using is £400,000 to buy so it is not cheap."

Other products in the market that are lower priced raise the "exciting possibility that it is a test you could make portable one day".

Regarding its usefulness, Dr Bailey added: "I would have thought it useful for workplace testing, somewhere where you want high-throughput."

"Drug rehabilitation centres where we are working are keen to use this methodology for patients on drug-treatment programmes. Then there are customs and probation services, drug testing and perhaps roadside testing."