Science AMA Series: I’m Kevin Lothridge, forensic chemist and CEO of the National Forensic Science Technology Center. I’m here to talk about the challenges synthetic drugs are creating for forensic laboratories and crime scene investigators. AMA!

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Hi reddit!

I am Kevin Lothridge, CEO of the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) in Largo, Florida. I’ve been working in forensic science since taking my first job nearly 30 years ago.

At NFSTC, I have been able to work with a great team to train law enforcement agencies on the ever-changing technologies in forensic science. Notable now is the shift in street drugs – specifically with synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl hitting the streets, field officers and crime laboratory chemists are facing new challenges. When I worked in the crime labs, most of the compounds were organic like marijuana, cocaine and heroin, which were easier to identify and less dangerous to officers. That’s simply no longer the case.

Most famously implicated in the death of Prince, synthetic drugs like Fentanyl are far more toxic than their predecessors. Fentanyl, for example, can be breathed in or absorbed through the skin with potentially lethal consequences to officers and laboratory personnel. Last month, NFSTC issued its first PSA/Officer warning on the handling of such chemicals.

In 2015, we presented a scientific poster at the American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD) annual conference on bringing higher level detection technologies into the field as part of an overall plan to improve public safety.

I’ll be back at 1 p.m. EST to answer your questions about the dangers of modern synthetic street drugs and how to properly identify them.

">Science AMA Series: I’m Kevin Lothridge, forensic chemist and CEO of the National Forensic Science Technology Center. I’m here to talk about the challenges synthetic drugs are creating for forensic laboratories and crime scene investigators. AMA!