Field Identification of Controlled Substances - Case Studies from the Field

A trend towards increasing potent synthetic and designer opioids, cathinones, cannabinoids, and other substances has affected the ability to detect and identify controlled substances in the field. Synthetic drugs tend towards higher potency, and therefore lower concentration in mixtures. This dangerous combination has fueled a significant rise in overdose deaths, highlighted in the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign. Learn how synthetic and designer drugs have fueled a trend towards counterfeit pills, a rise in lethal overdoses, and how field detection technology has evolved to keep pace with these trends.