Fingerprint Technology: The Future of Drug Tests?

Are the days of intrusive saliva or blood samples for drug tests drawing to a close? A group of innovative scientists have proposed an alternative and unique approach to drug testing – using fingerprints. As reported on Phys.org, the researchers used a detailed chemical analysis of fingerprints to ascertain whether a person had ingested cocaine.

Previously, scientists have been able to establish if a person has merely touched cocaine through an examination of their prints, a method hailed by Time Magazine. However, this new study, published in the prestigious journal Analyst, signifies a significant leap forward. Researchers hypothesize that this development could pave the way for portable drug testing devices within the next decade. This conjecture is driven by the fingerprint test’s attractive characteristics: non-invasiveness, hygiene, and its irrefutability – with the subject’s identity irrefutably inscribed in their fingerprint, according to Gizmag.

So, how does it work? The researchers utilized a sophisticated process known as mass spectrometry in order to detect traces of cocaine use. “When an individual consumes cocaine, they subsequently excrete derivatives of benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine as they metabolize the drug. These specific chemical residues are present in the fingerprint,” the study’s pioneering lead author from the UK’s University of Surrey explains. The most significant obstacle at present lies in the creation of portable, cost-effective spectrometers for immediate and on-site testing. However, as reported by UPI, multiple companies are currently gearing up to tackle this project.

In the realm of crime prevention, similar fingerprinting techniques are also being deployed, such as investigations figuring out how to catch rapists who use condoms. Essentially, the realm of law enforcement and drug detection is on the cusp of a fingerprint revolution.

Source: Newser