Thread: Cocaine through skin pores?

I work with juvenile parolees. Part of my job is to give UA's and oral swab tests for drug detection purposes. I recently had a kid test dirty for cocaine on an oral test, but continues to claim that he tested dirty due to him "briefly holding a zip lock bag which contained a rock." Doesn't seem probable, but is it possible?

Originally Posted by HEAVENBOUND

"briefly holding a zip lock bag which contained a rock." Doesn't seem probable, but is it possible?

I'm no drug expert, but if he's holding "crack" it's not water soluble. That's why you can't snort or inject it. I don't think he's going to get a dirty test from holding it in his hand... I would be shocked if he could get a dirty test from having powdered cocaine on his hand, but rock I would definitely say no way... Gotta smoke crack or dissolve it into some acidic material to get it back into an inject-able / water soluble condition.

Again I'm no expert, but that is what I"ve always been taught....

Kahuna

The testing lab should have a scientist/physician on board that handles inquiries just like this one. I used to be able to get someone on the phone at PharmChem to field the inevitable "um... poppyseed roll?" scenario questions.*

But I'll echo Kahuna.. might be possible if his hands were soaked with denatured alcohol & he was running them through a BUCKET of rocks.

My personal favorite was "No, I'm not doing coke, but my boyfriend is, and we had sex last night."**

* Answer was "Only if he ate about.. let's see.. 40 pounds of seeds."

** Answer was "Not unless he was snorting the lines off of... never mind. The answer is 'no.'"

I'm not an expert, but I've come into contact with crack on numerous instances and have yet to test positive or even so much as feel "different" after contact.

On another note, if this kid is a parolee, isn't part of his program not associating with people who are into breaking the law? Maybe it's just me, but in my days prior to being police, I never had any of my friends just randomly hand me a baggie of crack.

Originally Posted by Jedi

I'm not an expert, but I've come into contact with crack on numerous instances and have yet to test positive or even so much as feel "different" after contact.

On another note, if this kid is a parolee, isn't part of his program not associating with people who are into breaking the law? Maybe it's just me, but in my days prior to being police, I never had any of my friends just randomly hand me a baggie of crack.

Yon bring up a good point, Jedi.

Yes, he has violated 3 of the conditions of his parole.
1 Associating with negative peers.
2 Engaging in illegal activity.
3 Being around drugs/drug users.

I don't believe his story for 1 second, but I was just kinda floored when he tested positive because he had been doing so well! I agree with you though. Never did any of the kids in my youth group at church say, "Hold this bag of cocaine, will ya?"

So far everyone seems to be in agreement that the answer is NO WAY! That's what I thought, but just wanted to throw it out there.

No, no and no!

He's not going to test positive for handling a rock. Or touching the plastic zip lock bag which contained the rock. Not even a good try.

During my Quantico days, I used to make crack in the Drug ID course and I can tell you that my random tests were never an issue, and I handled ALOT of crack during my tenure there.

Idiots all.

I will look and see where the papers on skin absorption of controlled substances is, there is a lengthy article written in response to defenses raised for such a claim. Try Google in the mean time under absorption and drugs…sure it is out in Cyber Space also.

Conceivably, you could get absorption trans dermal but the rate of absorption would be minimal, provided the purity was there and there was a mechanism to get it in.

This defense has been tried, and failed for DUI, hot piss tests and the like.

As already noted, the possibility is practically ZERO.

Originally Posted by Sgt Jon

Try Google in the mean time under absorption and drugs…sure it is out in Cyber Space also

I wrote an e-mail to the toxicology lab, and am still waiting for a response. I wrote them over the weekend, and I'm sure they're just coming in for the day (labs are in California.)

I did try a google search, and some of the excuses people have used are quite humorous. One of my favorites that was mentioned on the board: I sprinkled some cocaine on my *yoohoo* and that's why I tested dirty. OK!

If FLEO's can touch drugs on a daily basis, and never test dirty, it just doesn't add up that he is dirty due to touching a baggie. That story just doesn't hold any water at all!

PS I ended up calling the head toxicologist, and she also said that the story is total bull.

I'm looking forward to telling him that his story is bogus. Then when he tries to argue with me I'll humbly let him know that I talked to a Chief Toxicologist, a Texas State Trooper, 2 Lieutenants, a Chief, several highly experienced FLEO's, and even a Hawaiian Moderator that all agreed that the story is rotten! I joke, I joke. No need to humiliate him. Seriously though, thanks for all the help.

He is probably telling the truth but not the whole truth. I am sure he did only hold the bag briefly. Just long enough to dump it into his glass pipe and smoke it!!!

Originally Posted by NYLSC

He is probably telling the truth but not the whole truth. I am sure he did only hold the bag briefly. Just long enough to dump it into his glass pipe and smoke it!!!

Good point, but if he's stupid enough to believe his excuse might work, then it's possible that this guy is the one (and we've all met him) who thinks you do crack the same way you do regular coke: snorting it through your nose....

I know I am late but I just wanted to chime in. At my agency it is possible. It all depends on at what level does the presence of the illegal substance trigger a positive for your testing program. At my agency the levels are pretty low. It is like this because alot of dealers will test positive sporadically for cocaine based drugs. It our way of pressing them out for the truth about what they are doing so we can get the police, DEA or violate them on their case. Your offender is telling at least one lie. He didn't briefly hold a bag with one rock. He is involeved in dealing/manufacturing the drug. It is the only way you can test positive without using (depending on your testing levels). Its my bet that he is not a user. Violate him!

Thanks again to everyone for the comments. My client ended up coming clean, and telling me that he used cocaine. He now has to go to a lab every day for the next 2 weeks and test (out of his own pocket.) He is now also testing positive for THC and opiates as well. I guess he is crushing up oxycodone and snorting those too. Good kid, but he is a real follower and is very easily persuaded by his older brother who is just a total loser. We'll see how his fait plays out.