Introduction Forensic Toxicology

Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. Forensic toxicology takes it a step further including a number of related disciplines to assist in the detection and interpretation of drugs and poisons in medicolegal death investigations human performance issues; e.g. driving under the influence compliance and other related matters. In these investigations the three main objectives (respectively) are to: - Establish if toxicants are present and capable of contributing to death - Establish if toxicants are present and capable of causing behavioralchanges- Establish if substances are present and whether or not they represent legitimate use or exposure such as prescribed medications or workplace exposures Forensic toxicology can also be used to determine drugs and dosing for hospital patients for example in therapeutic drug monitoring and emergency clinical toxicology; identify crimes where toxicants are used to poison or sedate; resolve cases of driving under the influence; and establish whether drugs have been used to improve human performance as in sport “doping”. For the purposes of this module.