New Method for Screening Drug Addicts Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Technology

Objective: Establish a rapid new method for quick and non-invasive screening dug addicts through detecting drugs and its metabolites in saliva. Methods: Saliva samples of methamphetamine addict and non-addict were detected by Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system and generated Raman spectra. Through spectroscopy analysis found out the basis of distinguishing two groups. And 40 saliva samples were screened with this basis to further prove the feasibility. Results: The obvious characteristic peaks at 1000cm^-1 and 1029 cm^-1 were found in the Raman spectra of saliva samples from amphetamine addict, which showed the existence of methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in samples. So those characteristic peaks were found in SRE spectrum can be as the basis of screening drug addicts. The methampheta-mine addicts were effectively distinguished from non-addicts by applying this screening basis on 40 saliva samples Raman test. Conclusion: This study provided a new method for drug addicts screening, which had advantages in quick, non-invasive, non-pollution, user-friendly, and allowing more than one kind of drug identified at the same time. And this method has good repeatability and feasibility.