New Drug & Alcohol Advisory Board Established

LONDON, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Hair Strand Scientific Advisory Board has been established by UK-based Trimega Laboratories. Its purpose is to analyze the fast-growing database of information created from the 10,000 hair alcohol tests and 7,000 hair drug tests conducted annually in the UK, of which Trimega Laboratories is responsible for around 40%.

As well as being the world's largest resource relating to substance abuse from hair and blood tests, the database also contains vital self-donor reporting information. This will assist the Board in analyzing what drink and drugs individuals say they have consumed in relation to what is found in test results.

The database gives the Board unique access to historical information relating to the 'combined marker' hair alcohol testing system. This system, which measures both EtG and FAEE markers in hair, has become the UK courts' preferred method for accurately determining long-term alcohol misuse. As a pioneer of the 'combined marker' system, Trimega Laboratories has used it to compile valuable information around alcohol trends and demographics for the past three years.

A smaller subset of this information, which looked at 644 cases relating to child protection in UK courts, was published in 2009* and contributed to a joint consensus being adopted by leading scientists from around the world.

The findings of the Board will be shared with the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) which, as a peer reviewed organization, will assist it in future decisions -- particularly those relating to the setting of universal standards/guidelines.

All founder members of the Board are also members of the SoHT:

• Dr. Hans Sachs (Chair): Past President of the SoHT and lead scientist in high profile cases such as Harold Shipman and "Black Widow" case.
• Professor Dr. Fritz Pragst: Award-winning forensic toxicologist and founding father of Hair Alcohol Testing.
• Dr. Carl Selavka: Member of SoHT and full-time consulting scientist at Trimega Laboratories.
• Dr. Silke Suese: Member of SoHT and Laboratory Director of Trimega Drogencheck GmbH laboratory.

For more information on hair strand testing, visit http://www.trimegalabs.co.uk.

* Forensic Science International (Prof. Dr. Fritz Pragst, Prof. Tom Mieczkowski, Dr. Silke Suesse & Dr. Carl Selavka)

SOURCE Trimega Laboratories

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