Cocaine

Discussion in 'Forensic Science' started by Calihan, Apr 7, 2007.

  1. Calihan

    Calihan Captain

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    I had a question for someone who knows a good amount about forensics. In the most recent CSI episode Big Shots, they said that all $100 bills in the United States have some cocaine on them, and I also read that same statistic in a novel and was wondering how is it possible for every bill to have cocaine on it.
     
  2. xfcanadian

    xfcanadian Pathologist

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    I have heard that of a study testing US bills for coke, and they did find a large amount of the bills tested had traces of the drug...
     
  3. SpeedyMeg25

    SpeedyMeg25 Coroner

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    I just read that trace amounts of cocaine turn up on apporximately four out of five bills in circulation. This happens because the drug is easily moved from one bill to another, because cocaine in powdered form is extremely fine.
    The drugs can get onto the money by things such as counting or sorting machines or ATM's. If even one bill in these machines has a trace of cocaine on it, the drug can be distributed to all of the money that the sorter has. One single bill that is mingled with the drug can contaminate an entire cash drawer.
    The average cocaine comtamination on a bill is about 16 one-millionths of a gram.

    I hope that helps you.
     
  4. Hunter

    Hunter Coroner

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    Yeah, not ALL bills have traces of coke in them. 97% do.
     
  5. CSI_Dani

    CSI_Dani CSI Level Two

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    Wow :eek: Really?! I had absolutely no idea...Like 97% That's a lot! :eek:
     
  6. Bullet_Girl

    Bullet_Girl Coroner

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    I knew that...... I googled it a while back :lol: But its not like you'd get high off it :p I told my brother this and he was like "Oooohh..... I want a US $100 dollar bill now" :lol:
     
  7. Hunter

    Hunter Coroner

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    I know. Pretty crazy eh? If you have american money, it up to the sun, you'll see a ghost of the persident of who's on your bill. If you look on the 5, the persident looks reallly stressed out. (Says Sara on LV)
     
  8. Forensics_Guy

    Forensics_Guy Witness

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    Remember the statistics on the probability of finding detectable cocaine on the $100 bill is based on old data (circa the 1980s). There are new $100 bills in circulation, and cocaine has dropped in popularity in usage in the United States.

    Cocaine is now #4 on the list of abused drugs, after methamphetamine, alcohol, and marijuana (in that order).

    The chances of finding detectable cocaine on $100 bills currently in circulation is probably very small.
     
  9. Daquien

    Daquien Coroner

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    Cocaine found on nearly all euro notes.

    Almost all euro bank notes have traces of cocaine, according to a study by German scientists.
    Prof Fritz Sögel and a team from the Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research in Nuremberg studied 700 euro notes from across the euro zone between January 2002 - the month the notes were launched - and last August.
    Three per cent were found to be contaminated with an average of 0.4 microgrammes of cocaine particles, just days after the euro's launch, and this figure soared to 90 per cent in seven months.
    Rolled up banknotes are often used to sniff cocaine. Because the notes are made from pure cotton, cocaine crystals stick easily to them and quickly get passed on to other notes, according to experts.
    (Source:Telegraph).
     
  10. poison girl

    poison girl Pathologist

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    I knew that from the dollars, not from euros! :eek:

    I have a question related to that; is that the reason i get so exited when i get paid every month? :lol: :lol:
     
  11. CSI_Dani

    CSI_Dani CSI Level Two

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    Euros? Does that mean I might have cocaine at home? Someday we are all acused of drug trafic :lol: Ok, I know that's not going to happen, Thank God :lol:
     
  12. thegluups

    thegluups Prime Suspect

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    Another figure : in Spain, 95% of all the 5 euro notes have traces of cocaine on them ....
     
  13. Forensics_Guy

    Forensics_Guy Witness

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    Amazing. I didn't know that cocaine was so popular in Europe. In Arizona and Nebraska I know that cocaine has fallen off in popularity. The #1 drug is usually methamphetamine, #2 is marijuana, #3 in Arizona is probably crack (cocaine base), and #4 would probably be cocaine salts (HCl - the kind that would be found in paper money).

    Cocaine in both forms probably only accounting for 5 - 10% of the drug cases I see come in lately.
     
  14. popsix

    popsix Civilian

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  15. thegluups

    thegluups Prime Suspect

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    In France, cocaine is extremely easy to get ( according to a report on TV). It said that for 70 euros ( approximatly 90 dollars) you could get some cocaine .. I can't remember how much, 1 gram I think ... According to the reporter, on any sidestreet of the Champs Elysees ( biggest and most popular avenue in Paris), you can get cocaine
     

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