[Methods of use and behavior of cocaine addicts consulting medical-legal emergency units in Paris. Clinical aspects and urinary toxicology profile]. / Modes d'usage et comportements du cocaïnomane consultant aux urgences médico-judiciaires de Paris. Aspect clinique et profil toxicologique urinaire.

OBJECTIVE: Establish the epidemiological characteristics and urinary toxicological profiles of a population of cocaine addicts under police custody. METHOD: A series of 60 cocaine addicts consulting the medico-legal emergency unit of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris was studied prospectively on the following elements: clinical characteristics, method of cocaine administration and association with other licit or illicit substances. Urinary toxicological analysis, using immuno-chemistry and chromatography linked to a mass spectrometer was systematically proposed to each patient. RESULTS: Half of the 17 to 26 year-old patients declared having consumed cocaine for the past 2 to 5 years. Inhalation of the vapours and the intravenous route were used more than the cigarette or nasal route. The majority of 26 to 35 year-olds were multi-drug addicted, generally associating cocaine, heroine and tobacco. Analysis of the urine provided an objective assessment of the cocaine consumption of these persons under police custody in Paris. CONCLUSION: Screening for urinary toxicity gives better knowledge on the consumption of addictive products by the person in whom urine was sampled. This study was conducted in cocaine addicts under police custody, and for the majority were social misfits. In this population, the consumption of crack by inhalation predominated.

[Assessment of the injunction regarding genetic fingerprinting of sex offense perpetrators]. / Enquête sur l'injonction de prélèvement d'empreintes génétiques chez les auteurs d'agression sexuelle.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the problems eventually created by fingerprinting for genetic identification of suspected sexual aggressors. METHOD: An opinion poll was conducted among 13 practitioners (8 forensic experts and 5 biologists) using a list of 20 questions. RESULTS: Ten practitioners agreed that there were ethical problems in fingerprinting, and 6 of the 13 physicians surveyed claimed that fingerprinting was distressful for the suspect. COMMENTS: The ethical problems most frequently encountered were the presence of a third party during fingerprinting, the practitioners' lack of information at to the test's future use, the suspect's refusal to undergo such a test and the suspect's lack of information on the subsequent computerized treatment of the fingerprint, to enhance a national genetic data base for example, and the length of time during which the fingerprint is stored.