In the last few weeks the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) have published their new list of prohibited substances and methods, as it does each year. This year they have added a new method onto the list – the non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide (CO). Isn’t CO in the atmosphere all…
Tag: toxicology
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Doping and AntiDoping, Pure Doublethink – Icarus Film Review
Film Review – Icarus by Brian Fogle I was fortunate to be given a pass to go to DocFest to see the film Icarus, by Brian Fogle. On Tuesday 13/6/17 I will be talking about this in Sheffield (DocFest Link) please come along. Brian Fogle finished the Haute…
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Jamaicans and footballers: how to interpret a single urine sample
This blog post has been written after seeing many comments on a footballers drug test results and also the news that some Jamaicans had low levels of clenbuterol detected in their samples from Beijing. So what does it all mean… Earlier this week there was a quote from Siado…
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Forensic scientists arrested following probe at Manchester toxicology lab
Last month the UK’s Forensic Science Regulator, Gillian Tully, warned that the cuts to forensic science provision in the UK could lead to miscarriages of justice. I doubt she thought a major case would come up so quickly. It has been reported today that two forensic scientists working for Randox Testing…
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Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 – The end of legal highs?
From midnight (starting 26 May 2016) the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 comes into effect, aiming to stamp out the market in ‘legal highs’ or novel psychoactive substances. The Act, which has seen several delays this year, will make it an offence to import, sell, supply or produce any substance knowing that it…
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Doping: black and white or shades of grey
In the fall out from the Sharapova Meldonium case much has been made of what is and what isn’t cheating or doping. This is not such a certain area, containing many shades of grey. People caught doping are often said to have crossed the line. But what is the line and…
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Hair analysis in the laboratory
Today I decided to try something new in a forensic science student lab, taking small videos (Vines), creating a video lab script, see below. The students had seen a lab script before hand, but this is a dry description of the steps they need to complete. I have decided to capture…
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Fragmentation of cases may mean missing part of the puzzle
Current concern among forensic scientists is the ‘fragmentation’ of cases. What this means is different exhibits from a case are sent to different laboratories and no one forensic scientist maintains an overview of what is happening. Such cases are managed by the Police rather than forensic scientists and the argument…
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Supplements and strict liability
Why should failing a drugs test due to a contaminated supplement lead to a doping ban for an athlete? Strict liability… Yesterday Rhys Williams and Gareth Warburton (Welsh athletes) were handed four and six month bans respectively having failed drugs tests just prior to the Commonwealth Games last year. The…
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Is the rise in workplace drug testing a good thing?
More drug testing of individuals in the workplace must be a good thing, right? I’m not so sure… Several of the major drug testing companies have reporting a large increase in the amount of workplace drug testing. According to an article ‘Workplace drug testing ‘on the rise’, say providers‘ published…