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THe problem is: How do we know that the social worker isn't a drug user and that their collection has not contaminated the sample. Since it has been demonstrated that up to 25% of paper money in the UK and a higher proportion of money in the US has traces of illegal substances, we cannot even be certain that the child has not picked up a L10 note, got drugs on their hands and then wiped it into their hair. Our Occupational Health physician's son spent 2 hours in the airport drug tank being interviewed, body searched etc simply because the drug dogs had identified the smell of cannabis on his luggage following a visit to his girlfriend in Amsterdam. A cup of coffee in a bar on the way to the airport was said to have been sufficient to be the cause of the near arrest! At least with urine we can observe it being passed and be relatively certain that contamination has not occurred. TIM *************************************************************************************** Prof. T. Reynolds, Clinical Chemistry Dept, Queens Hospital, Belvedere Rd., Burton-on-Trent, STAFFS, DE13 0RB. --------- Tel: +44 (0)1283 511511 ext. 4035 Fax: +44 (0)1283 593064 ----------- [log in to unmask] > -----Original Message----- > From: c=GB;a=NHS;p=NHS NATIONAL > INT;dda:RFC-822=acb-clin-chem-gen-request(a)mailbase.ac.uk; > Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 2:55 PM > To: c=GB;a=NHS;p=NHS NATIONAL INT;dda:RFC-822=lsc1(a)hermes.cam.ac.uk; > Cc: c=GB;a=NHS;p=NHS NATIONAL > INT;dda:RFC-822=Mike.Addison(a)man.ac.uk;; > c=GB;a=NHS;p=NHS NATIONAL > INT;dda:RFC-822=acb-clin-chem-gen(a)mailbase.ac.uk; > Subject: Re: Chain of custody & collection kits ... or hair?? > > > I have run this past people who know about social work procedures, and > there is a little - well actually I mean to say a lot of > concern, about > the taking of hair samples by social workers - are these > samples being > taken with the knowledge and consent of parents - or under an > assessment > order - section 43b CA 1989? How much of this is going on? Do we know? > > It may well be entirely laudable - but if this is unregulated > all sorts of > mistakes and abuses may happen - children are taken into care > on balance > of probability in the family courts - not the strict forensic > standards of > the criminal courts - which makes it even more important that > samples are > properly taken under appropriate supervision, with consent, > and duplicates > kept for any challenges to the assay. The chain of custody is crucial. > Social workers taking samples in secret (if that is what is happening) > may not meet the standard required. > > Brian Morgan > Cardiff > > > Dear Mike, > > > > Yes, I too was incredulous when told about this hair assay... > > ....but why not try a URL to answer your questions:- > > > > + Correction! ... > > > > http://www.tricho-tech.co.uk > > > > (In answer to your next question, no I don't have shares, > if only ....) > > All the best, > > > > Les > > > > > > > >I am not into hair analysis and I am not sure what it can > show but I > > >presume not acute administration of drugs and poisons > > > > > >Mike > > >Dr G.Michael Addison > > > > Dr Les Culank, Consultant Chemical Pathologist > > 01223 - 217153 / fax 216862 > > Dept of Clinical Biochemistry, Box 232, > > Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QR UK > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%