Roadside drug testing has become an increasingly important part of drug-driving enforcement in the UK. Where a police officer suspects that a driver may have drugs in their system, a roadside screening device such as the DrugWipe may be used to test an oral fluid sample. A positive roadside DrugWipe result can lead to arrest…
Oral fluid drug testing is increasingly used in forensic toxicology, particularly in drug-driving investigations. However, a new study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology highlights an important issue: the concentration of a drug measured in an oral-fluid sample can be influenced by what happens during sample collection and preparation. The research examined THC, cocaine…
This week marks National Forensic Science Week, an opportunity to recognise the important role forensic science plays within the justice system and to celebrate the people behind the science. At Bericon Forensics, we asked one of our experts a few quick questions about life in forensic science – from what first sparked the interest, to…
Calls are growing for alcolocks to be introduced for repeat drink-driving offenders in the UK, as the Government considers further measures aimed at reducing alcohol-related deaths and injuries on roads. Senior police officers and road safety organisations have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce a mandatory alcolock programme for high-risk and repeat offenders, according…
Advances in new DNA testing are once again being highlighted by one of the UK’s most well-known murder cases, almost 30 years after the offences took place. Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan were murdered in Chillenden, Kent, in 1996. Josie Russell, then aged nine, survived the attack. Michael Stone was convicted of the…
