@Article{Furrer2017,
journal="Alcoholism and Drug Addiction/Alkoholizm i Narkomania",
issn="0867-4361",
volume="30",
number="2",
year="2017",
title="Cocaine testing in fitness-to-drive assessments: comparison between hair analysis, urinalysis and self-reports",
abstract=" Introduction:   Cocaine is one of  the  most commonly used illicit substance and may have a  devastating impact on road safety. The  detection of  cocaine use is therefore of  great significance in assessing fitness-to-drive. The  aim of  this study is to compare anamnestic declaration of  cocaine use with the  results of  immunoassays in urine and the  results of  hair analysis in the  fitness-to-drive assessment procedure used in Switzerland. We hypothesised that hair analysis will detect a  higher number of  clandestine cocaine users than urinalysis.   Material and methods : Anamnestic declarations as well as the  results of  urinalysis and hair analysis were collected from fitness-to-drive reports. Urinalysis was performed with an  immunoassay. Hair samples were analysed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS).    Results:   Of  a total population of  311 subjects (mean age 32.5 years), 38 admitted consumption of  cocaine, in 7 cases the  urine immunoassay was positive and 84 subjects tested positive for cocaine in hair analysis. The  detection rate in hair analysis for cocaine was 12 times greater than that for urine testing and 1.4 times greater than that for anamnestic declaration. Apart from cocaine, the  investigated population consumed cannabis (21 of  81 subjects), amphetamines (30 of  81 subjects) as well as, more rarely, opiates and methadone (included substitution treatment).    Conclusions : The  study results reveal that hair analysis is more effective than urinalysis and self-reports in identifying cocaine users in a  fitness-to-drive assessment. Hair analysis provides long-term information about cocaine use and is therefore a  useful tool for the  identification and follow-up of  cocaine users. Hair analysis should be included in every assessment of  fitness-to-drive in subjects suspected of  cocaine abuse.",
author="Furrer, Liliana
and Jackowski, Christian
and Pfäffli, Matthias",
pages="103--112",
doi="10.5114/ain.2017.70288",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/ain.2017.70288"
}