The next generation of drug tests

You’ve likely seen it depicted in a medical drama; an ambulance pulls up, the paramedic kneels beside an unresponsive person to look for clues and vital signs, trying to decipher what’s happened. But when it comes to synthetic drugs and overdoses, the answer isn’t always clear – especially when what someone’s taken isn’t what they think.

But what if there was a way to quickly and accurately detect synthetic drugs? Thanks to new research, there is.

Fast and accurate detection

During her PhD, UTS forensic scientist Dr Morgan Alonzo developed the first rapid test for synthetic cathinones – better known as bath salts.

These synthetic cathinones are so similar to amphetamines, they were previously exceptionally difficult to detect.

“[They] are a large class of new psychoactive substances with a structure very similar to amphetamines – just one oxygen atom different – but that makes all the difference in terms of detection,” Alonzo says.

Not only is the test fast – it’s portable and can be done anywhere. The new testing method is not unlike the COVID rapid tests we now know so well. A small sample of the drug is added to a test tube. Next, a chemical compound is added, designed to create a chemical reaction. If the substance being tested for is present, the solution will change colour. 

This project, done in conjunction with German company ESATest GmbH and with support from the Global Connections Fund, laid the groundwork for future iterations.

And the scope for future drug testing is massive.

Cocaine, for example, is often ‘cut’ with other substances when sold. While a user might believe they’re taking pure cocaine, there’s a rise in cocaine being mixed with new psychoactive substances (NPSs).

These NPSs are illicit lab-made chemical compounds. In other words, they are lab-made drugs designed to mimic the effects of common drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines, LSD and heroin.