The effect of banning MDPV on the incidence of MDPV-positive findings among users of illegal drugs and on court decisions in traffic cases in Finland.

In this study, we sought to determine what impact the banning of 3, 4- methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) had on the incidence of MDPV-positive findings and on user profiles in driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and postmortem (PM) investigations in Finland. All MDPV-positive cases and a selection of corresponding court cases between 2009 and 2012 were examined. The median serum concentration of MDPV in DUID cases was 0.030 mg/L and in PM blood 0.12 mg/L. The number of MDPV-positive cases decreased both in DUID and PM investigations after the drug was banned. The decrease in the mean monthly numbers of MDPV-positive DUID cases was 51.1%. In court cases, MDPV was rarely mentioned until banned and frequently mentioned thereafter. Of the convicted, 37% were without a fixed abode, 98% had other charges besides that of DUID, and 13% appeared in the study material more than once. In MDPV-positive PM cases, the proportion of suicides was very high (24%). Research on new psychoactive substances is required not only to support banning decisions but more importantly to be able to provide a scientific assessment of the risks of these new substances to the public and potential users.

[Designer drugs in Finland]. / Muunto- eli designhuumeet Suomessa.

Designer drugs are synthetic psychotropic drugs which are marketed as "legal drugs". Their emergence, rapid spreading and unpredictable effects have challenged the health and substance abuse care. The slow process of classification of an abusable drug has provided too many possibilities for spreading the designer drugs. Once a certain substance receives an illegal drugs classification, dealers and users usually move to another, slightly different molecule that is still legal. In Finland, the Narcotics Act has been amended to the effect that the addition of a new substance to the illegal drug list does not require an amendment to the law.

The identification of 3,4-MDMA from its mass equivalent isomers and isobaric substances using fast LC-ESI-MS-MS.

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (3,4-MDMA, "Ecstacy") and its 17 isomers and isobaric substances are studied using liquid chromatography (LC)-positive electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MS). 3,4-MDMA is a controlled substance, whereas in many countries the other studied isobaric compounds are not. A method for confirmation of the presence of 3,4-MDMA in drug seizures is developed and validated. Using single MS, the compounds produce an intense protonated molecule and some characteristic fragments; but tandem MS (MS-MS) is applied to enhance specificity. The MS-MS fragmentation is studied in order to distinguish 3,4-MDMA from the other 17 related compounds. However, the MS-MS spectra of 3,4-MDMA and six related compounds are very similar. Therefore, the LC-MS-MS method is developed for the unambiguous identification of 3,4-MDMA. The use of a monolithic column allows for 5-min gradient runs. This qualitative method is tested with 49 Ecstacy samples seized by the police. All results are congruent with the ones obtained with other methods.

Analysis of amphetamines and fentanyls by atmospheric pressure desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and its application to forensic analysis of drug seizures.

The suitability of atmospheric pressure desorption/ionization on silicon mass spectrometry (AP-DIOS-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (AP-MALDI-MS) for the identification of amphetamines and fentanyls in forensic samples was studied. With both ionization techniques, the mass spectra recorded showed abundant protonated molecules, and the background did not disturb the analysis. The use of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed unambiguous identification of the amphetamines and fentanyls. AP-DIOS-MS/MS and AP-MALDI-MS/MS were also successfully applied to the identification of authentic compounds from drug seizures. Common diluents and tablet materials did not disturb the analysis and compounds were unequivocally identified. The limits of detection (LODs) for amphetamines and fentanyls with AP-DIOS-MS/MS were 1-3 pmol, indicating excellent sensitivity of the method. The LODs with AP-MALDI-MS/MS were about 5-10 times higher.

Effect of the eluent on enantiomer separation of controlled drugs by liquid chromatography-ultraviolet absorbance detection-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry using vancomycin and native beta-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phases.

Enantioseparation of nine amphetamine derivatives, methorphan and propoxyphene was studied by comparing two different chiral stationary phases, macrocyclic antibiotic vancomycin and native beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). Effects of 46 eluent compositions on enantioseparation in reversed-phase (RP) and polar organic phase modes were investigated. beta-CD was found to be more suitable to phenethylamines in general and vancomycin for methorphan and propoxyphene. An eluent system capable of separating the enantiomers of all phenethylamines in one run was developed. Also, systems providing competitive analysis times for enantioseparation of methorphan and propoxyphene were reported. The suitability of the eluent systems to electrospray ionisation (ESI) was discussed and methods using a tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) detection were developed. The suitability of chiral LC-ESI-MS/MS was tested with 14 seized drug samples. The results were in agreement with conventional non-chiral methods. Repeatability of the methods was good and limits of detection were 25-100 ng/ml for most compounds using mass spectrometric detection.

Rapid identification and quantitation of compounds with forensic interest using fast liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry and library searching.

A fast liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS-MS) method by using a monolithic column, gradient elution and ion trap mass spectrometer was developed for 14 forensically interesting and chemically different compounds. All compounds were eluted within 2.5 min and the total analysis time was 5 min including stabilisation time required for the next injection. All the compounds, basics, neutrals and acids were efficiently ionised by positive ion ESI. A laboratory library including MS-MS spectra and retention times was developed and tested. Results with 476 standard samples and 50 authentic samples showed that the compounds studied can be unambiguously identified with the library. A quantitative method was developed for the compounds using external calibration. The evaluation process showed good linearity of the method and reasonable repeatability. Limits of detection ranged from 10.0 to 50.0 ng/ml.