SOFT 2004 Meeting Abstracts - Society of Forensic Toxicologists

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HUMAN PERFORMANCE FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY IN TURKEY
S. A. Akgur*l, P. Ozturk l , S. Cengiz 2 , A. Yemiscigil l
lEge University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey.
2Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science, Istanbul, Turkey.
Human performance toxicology, also referred to as behavioral toxicology, is a branch of forensic
toxicology concerned with the relationship between the presence of a drug and associated behavioral
changes. Forensic toxicologists have become interested in human performance toxicology because it is a
natural extension of their interest in the medicolegal implications of drug use, misuse, and abuse. This
branch needs new educational and analytical approaches and developments in our country. The aim of this
study is to describe the present status, progress and applications of human performance toxicology in
Turkey.
Forensic Toxicology in Turkey is carried out in the Forensic Medicine Council of the Ministry of Justice
and Forensic Medicine Departments and Forensic Medicine Institutes of Universities. Forensic Toxicology
is practiced almost exclusively as a result of investigation of fatalities. As a result, postmortem forensic
toxicology is the main topic in the Forensic Medicine Council.
In most countries Forensic Toxicology has progressed with the advances in analytical chemistry but the
same progress has not been achieved yet in forensic chemistry in countrywide of Turkey except Istanbul
Ankara and izmir. Forensic Medicine Departments that provide education in forensic medicine are also
attempting to develop the fields of forensic sciences. There are several forensic toxicology education
programs in universities and institutes, including Ege University.
Ege University, in cooperation with the Police Department, is applying on-site (saliva) drug tests in traffic
cases. The positive results will be· confirmed by Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay (EMIT) and Gas
Chromatography! Mass Spectrometry (GCIMS). Most countries have legislation covering driving under
the influence of drugs (DUID). Most have an impairment approach but not an analytical approach. Several
European Union (EU) member states have recently introduced or are preparing 'per se' laws on DUID.
Driving under the influence of drugs is prohibited by traffic legislation in our country also, but
unfortunately the analytical procedure is not yet effectively used. The Police Criminology Laboratories do
not analyze biological specimens for drugs. In routine applications, the impairment approach is only related
with driving under the influence of alcohol.
At present, the breath alcohol tests performed by police are routinely applied to motor vehicle operators
driving under the influence of alcohol. The allowed ethanol limit for driving under the Turkish Road
Traffic Act is O.5gfL. In alcohol testing, the first suspicion of the police officer is followed by an on-site
breath analyzer test and under certain conditions it is followed by the blood test for alcohol in Council of
Forensic Medicine cases. Blood Alcohol Determination is performed by Conway- micro diffusion,
immunoassay techniques and gas chromatography. Recently, the Forensic Medicine Chemical Analysis
Specialty Office has made an effort for analytical toxicological research projects to include GC, GCIMS,
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Head Space Gas Chromatography (HS-GC).
More collaborative projects on educational and laboratory practices will help us to achieve improvements
in Forensic Toxicology in Turkey.
Keywords: Human, Performance Toxicology, Turkey
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