VOLUME 1
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
001.OVERVIEW.
Before narcotics investigators can begin to identify the adverse reactions a drug may have on the body, it is necessary to have general knowledge of what is considered the normal state of the body, and the state in which drugs affect the body.
How drugs work. Drugs work by artificially introducing the body to chemicals that mimic the body's natural hormones and neurotransmitters. They may mimic, block, speed up or slow down the body's natural state; and interfere with the messages transmitted by the body's neurotransmitters.
005. CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES TERMINOLOGY.
Overview. The Uniform Controlled Substances Act regulates drugs, possession, sales, transportation, manufacturing, etc. NED investigators need to understand what is covered by the law regarding use, possession or sales of a controlled substance. NED investigators should be familiar with the following terms when investigating a crime that involves controlled substances:
- Drugs
- Controlled substances
- Narcotics
- Drug abuse
Drugs. Drugs are any substances which can impair a person's central nervous system. Examples include:
- Marijuana
- Toluene (More often found in glue.)
- Heroin
- Methamphetamines
- Cocaine
Controlled substances. are any one of a number of drugs or other substances which are strictly regulated because of their potential for abuse or addiction. These substances are included in the Health and Safety Code as Schedules I-IV, refer to to supplemental materials for drug schedule classifications. These include drugs classified as narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and cannabis. Examples of controlled substances include:
- Stimulants (e.g., methamphetamines)
- Hallucinogens (e.g., LSD)
- Opiates (e.g., heroin)
- Depressants (e.g., Xanax and Valium)
Narcotics. are opiates or synthetic opiates. Their major function is analgesic (pain suppressant). Use may produce a sense of euphoria. Examples of narcotics which have legitimate medical use include:
- Morphine
- Methadone
- Oxycontin
- Vicodin
- Fentanyl
NOTE: Heroin is an example of a narcotic opiate that is NOT medicinal.
Drug abuse is the illegal use of a controlled substance. Possession or use of a controlled substance may be a crime. Addiction to drugs is classified as a disease. Examples of drug abuse include:
- Injecting heroin
- Sniffing cocaine
- Smoking cocaine base or methamphetamines.
Leadership. In general, peace officers can influence young peoples’ choices by being exemplary role models and by voicing a clear and consistent message regarding the illegal use of drugs. There is a need to continually reinforce the message that it is not OK to experiment with these substances in violation of the law.
Ethics. The world of narcotic investigations; dealing with narcotics users, dealers, and traffickers can be a particularly nasty one with high stakes in terms of NED investigator safety, money and power. The lure of the easy money and power can be intoxicating. Deception and lying are particularly complex issues that will test the investigator's integrity and cause severe consequences. The investigator must demonstrate strong, ethical leadership, honesty, and integrity for career survival.
010. EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON THE BODY.
Methods for taking drugs into the body. Depending on the method selected, a person can increase the speed in which the drug enters the body and takes effect. The following chart lists the methods and the path into the body, starting with inhalation (the fastest method) and concluding with ingestion (the slowest)
| If a drug is taken into the body via... | by... | then the drug... |
| Inhalation, | smoking or inhaling, | enters the body through the tissue of the lower respiratory system (lungs). |
| Injection, | using a syrine and hypodermic needle, | goes directly into a muscle or a vein into the circulatory system. |
| Intranasal, | snorting or sniffing, | enters the body through the tissue of the upper respiratory system (nose). |
| Transdermal, | touching, | passes directly through the skin into the circulatory system. |
| Ingestion, | eating, | enters the body via the tissues of the digestive system into the circulatory system.[/td |
NOTE: NED investigators must be extremely cautious when processing drugs in order to avoid transdermal and intranasal ingestion (e.g., with Fentanyl)
How drugs travel through the body. No matter how a drug enters the body, it must go through the following process.
| Step | Action(s) |
| 1 | The drug enters the blood stream (via inhalation, injection, ingestion, etc.) |
| 2 | The drug is metabolized by the body into several metabolites (substances resulting from metabolism). The metabolite continues in the bloodstream to different parts of the body. |
| 3 | Eventually, the metabolite is discharged from the body, usually in urine. |
Use. A person who uses a drug to seek temporary relief, usually achieves this by taking the correct dosage that the doctor and/or label prescribes. Over time a person can go from using a drug for therapeutic reasons (e.g., a pain killer) to becoming totally dependent on that drug in order to function.
Related terms. To understand how drugs affect the body, investigators need to understand the following terms.
- Central Nervous System (CNS) is the system of nerves which make up the brain and spinal cord.
- Polydrug use is when two or more substances are used which result in an effect that each substance could not reach on its own.
- Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain which transmit nerve messages across synaptic gaps (gap between two neurons) throughout the nervous system in the body.
The effect of drugs on the body. Introducing a drug into the body upsets the body’s dynamic chemical balance
(the body’s natural tendency to homeostasis) such as the body regulating its temperature at 98.6 degrees. The body then alters its own supply of natural chemicals to accommodate the drug now in the system.
Drugs react with oxygen and other chemicals in the body; they are broken down from complex substances into simpler ones. Eventually they are eliminated from the body. Long term drug use can cause permanent damage to the brain and can present itself as a mental health disorder.
Tolerance is building up resistance to a drug, requiring more of the substance to be ingested in order to cause the desired effects.
The brain accommodates the routine presence of a drug by turning off the supply of natural chemicals that correspond to the drug. Because the drug is artificially simulating the actions of certain hormones and transmitters, the body may come to rely on the drug to supply those actions and may simply cease producing those natural chemicals. This is sometimes called negative feedback.
Addiction is the physical/psychological dependence on a drug. Addiction becomes apparent when:
- The body accommodates the routine presence of the drug
- The body begins to rely on the drug
- Tolerance to the drug builds
- More drug is needed to trigger the desired effect, and, finally;
- The body becomes physically addicted to the drug.
Overdose, often referred to as OD, is the excessive consumption of a drug and is often fatal. In cases of opioid overdose, it may be counteracted if done quickly by introducing the opioid antagonist Naloxone. More commonly known as Narcan, which is designed to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids.
