Forensic Science Progress. - 4

Methamphetamine is one of the most widely abused stimulants and together with amphetamine has led to serious social problems.

Numerous papers in the fields of medicine, toxicology, pharmacology, sociology, etc. have appeared. In Japan for example about 20,000 to 22,000 persons have been arrested in recent years on suspicion of abuse, smuggling or illegal manufacture of drugs.

In other countries, stimulant drugs also present social problems and efforts have been directed toward prevention.

Although marked development of analytical techniques in the field of forensic sciences has been achieved, there is a need for a continuous review of recent advances.

A review of studies on methamphetamine has therefore been made from the standpoint of forensic toxicology and legal medicine.

Attention has been directed to biological samples because analyses and interpretation for the purpose of t.oxicological and As a detailed survey on abuse drugs involving clinical practice are important. 1 methamphetamine and amphetamine has been made by Fishbein and covered the time before 1980, we refer only to data and events appearing after 1980.