| Programme: | Criminology and Forensic Science/Forensic Science |
| Module Code: | AP0504 |
| Module Title: | Drugs and Toxicology |
| Distributed on: | |
| Submission Time and Date: | To be submitted by 09:00 on 14/1/25 |
| Word Limit: | 1500 words |
| Weighting | This coursework accounts for 60% of the total mark for this module |
| Submission of Assessment | Electronic Management of Assessment (EMA): Please note if your assignment is submitted electronically, it will be submitted online via Turnitin by the given deadline. You will find a Turnitin link on the module’s eLP site. It is your responsibility to ensure that your assignment arrives before the submission deadline stated above. See the University policy on late submission of work. Please note that assignments are subject to anonymous marking. |
Instructions on Assessment:
Answer the following three questions to be submitted as a single document:
Q1 calculation (no word limit employed, but full working of calculations required)
Q2 analytical strategy for drug analysis (750 words)
Q3 interpretation of toxicological results (750 words)
Question 1
A red car was involved in a crash at 1200hrs on the 20/9/23 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The driver failed to stop at the scene, but his number plate was taken and reported to the police. The police traced the owner, Brian Jones and questioned him regarding the offence. At this time, he smelt of alcohol which he claims was due to him panicking when the accident occurred and having a drink to calm his nerves.
The police arrested him and conveyed him to the police station for a breath examination, however the Camic failed to calibrate. A forensic medical examiner was asked to attend and a blood sample was obtained at 1428 hours on the 20/9/23.
His weight was noted as 10st 4lbs (65.3 kg) and his height as 5ft 9in (175cm) and the calculated Widmark factor is 0.76 (according to Forrest)
The blood alcohol concentration was measured and found to be not less than 183mg/100ml
Mr Jones claims he drank 3 x normal measure (assumed to be 25ml, 40%) vodkas and 3 cans (440ml) of Stella Artois ™ (5% v/v) between the time of the accident and the police arriving at his home
You are asked to perform a back calculation using the method according to Forrest in order to determine whether he was over the legal limit for driving at the time of the accident.
Question 2
A bag of white powder weighing 78g has been submitted for analysis that is suspected to be cocaine. In your case file, what would you record and what strategy would you adopt that would enable you to unequivocally identify and confirm the presence of any drug(s) in the powder.
Your answer should be in the form of a flow chart form representing the appropriate order in which you would undertake all required analysis including casefile documentation and what the specific expected analytical findings in each step would be should the powder be cocaine.
Word limit 750 words
Question 3
In a case of sudden unexplained death, you have determined the concentration of amitriptyline and nortriptyline to be 1.1mg/L and 0.6mg/L in a femoral blood sample. No other drugs or alcohol were found in the blood. As the senior toxicologist how would you interpret these drug results based on the following additional information. Your interpretation should be written in a format that would be suitable for submission to the coroner and pathologist and as such would follow the style appropriate for an expert witness statement specific to this discipline, so give due consideration to what information would be needed (e.g. what the analytes are, how the body reacts to them, what you consider the concentrations found mean and any other information you deem to be appropriate (note, you are not required to complete a full statement, just the interpretation section)).
Additional information:
The now deceased was found unresponsive on September 14th 2024 and is a male aged 34 years with no history of any depressive disorder. He was diagnosed with neuropathic pain in January of this year and was prescribed Amitriptyline for treatment of this on September 7th 2024. There is no further detail on any previous drug treatments or drug use. Pathological findings from the post mortem are as yet unavailable and no other information is available at this time.
Word limit 750 words
Referencing
You will be expected to review appropriate journal and reference sources. It is not just correctly citing your references but choosing the most appropriate/quality peer reviewed publications to support your arguments. These must be cited in text correctly and supplied in an appropriately formatted reference list. The reference style to adopt is the Author Date convention: eg.(Edmond, Tangen et al. 2014) in text
Reference list entry:
Edmond, G., J. M. Tangen, R. A. Searston and I. E. Dror (2014). “Contextual bias and cross-contamination in the forensic sciences: the corrosive implications for investigations, plea bargains, trials and appeals.” Law, Probability and Risk 14(1): 1-25.
Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives
Knowledge & Understanding:
CFS : PLO 1 Apply and evaluate essential facts, concepts, principles, (processes) and theories underpinning criminology and forensic science in real world situations.
CFS : PLO 3 Perform a range of intermediate research, practical and laboratory skills (including instrumental skills) in a safe and accurate manner.
CFS : PLO 4 Interpret, report and explain data in the context of defined problems and scenarios
FS : PLO 3 Interpret, report and evaluate laboratory results in the context of defined problems and scenarios
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities
CFS : PLO 1 Demonstrate a systematic and accurate recording of observations and/or measurements during experimentation.
CFS : PLO 2 Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills in the justification and delivery of information relating to criminology and forensic science topics.
CFS : PLO 3 The ability to research, extract, prioritise and utilise experimental, ethical and theoretical data from a range of sources using a variety of research tools
FS : PLO 4 Demonstrate the transferable skills necessary to work individually and as part of a team
Module Specific Assessment Criteria
Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO 1 Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of facts in relation to forensic toxicology and drug analysis
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO 2 Interpret the output from advanced methods of drug detection in tablets/powders and biological material and consider their implications in assessment of a drug related scene
Marking criteria/rubrics:
| Marking criteria | >90 | 80-89 | 70-79 | 60-69 | 50-59 | 40-49 | 30-39 | <29 |
| Back calc | Appropriate calculation | Graded across boundaries according to number of errors/inconsistencies in calculation/interpretation | inappropriate calculation | |||||
| /20 | 18-20 | 16-18 | 14-16 | 12-14 | 10-12 | 8-10 | 6-8 | <6 |
| Drug strategy | An exceptional drug analytical strategy that meets full expectation and justification | An outstanding strategy that gives full consideration to the analysis | An excellent strategy with one or two minor deficiencies in detail | A very good strategy with some weaknesses or omissions | A strategy that shows a solid understanding of the process but missing key details | A strategy that lacks an appropriate flow or order and needs detail to show rationale for choices | A strategy that does not show full consideration of analytical techniques or expectations | Minimal or incorrect information given to inform understanding |
| /20 | 18-20 | 16-18 | 14-16 | 12-14 | 10-12 | 8-10 | 6-8 | <6 |
| Tox interpret’n | An exceptional interpretation that meets full expectation and justification; evidence of extensive wider reading | An outstanding interpretation that gives full consideration but missing one or two minor points; evidence of wider reading | An excellent interpretation with one or two minor deficiencies in detail; evidence of wider reading | A very good interpretation but with some weaknesses or omissions; evidence of some wider reading | An interpretation that shows a solid understanding of the drugs in question but not fully supported | An interpretation that lacks an appropriate understanding for the information needed; some evidence of reading but not the most appropriate | An interpretation that does not show full consideration of what is needed to interpret drug concns; limited or no evidence of reading | Minimal or incorrect information given to inform understanding; limited or no evidence of reading |
| /20 | 18-20 | 16-18 | 14-16 | 12-14 | 10-12 | 8-10 | 6-8 | <6 |
ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS
You are advised to read the guidance for students regarding assessment policies. They are available online here.
Academic Misconduct
The Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA) contain the Regulations and procedures applying to cheating, plagiarism, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, and other forms of academic misconduct.
The full policy is available here
You are reminded that plagiarism, collusion, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, and other forms of academic misconduct, as referred to in the Academic Misconduct procedure of the assessment regulations, are taken very seriously. Assignments in which evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct is found may receive a mark of zero.
Late submission of work
Where coursework is submitted without approval, after the published hand-in deadline, the following penalties will apply.For coursework submitted up to 1 working day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline without approval, 10% of the total marks available for the assessment (i.e.100%) shall be deducted from the assessment mark.
For clarity: a late piece of work that would have scored 65%, 55% or 45% had it been handed in on time will be awarded 55%, 45% or 35% respectively as 10% of the total available marks will have been deducted.
The Penalty does not apply to Pass/Fail Modules, i.e. there will be no penalty for late submission if assessments on Pass/Fail are submitted up to 1 working day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline.
Coursework submitted more than 1 day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline without approval will be marked as zero but will be eligible for referral. The reassessment should where appropriate, and as determined by the Module Leader, be the same method (e.g. essay) but maybe with a different task (e.g. different essay title) or with the same task (e.g. the same essay title) as indicated in the Module handbook.
In modules where there is more than one assessment component, Students are not required to complete all assessment components if an overall Pass Mark (40% UG, 50% PGT) has been achieved.
The only permitted exception will be in cases where the University is prevented from doing so by a PSRB requirement. In the case of PSRB requirements, a variation order will be required from the regulations.
In modules, where there is more than one assessment component and an overall pass mark has not been achieved, Students will be eligible for a referral* in the individual failed module and/or not attempted component(s) of assessment.
These provisions apply to all assessments, including those assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.
The full policy can be found here
Word limits
The word count is to be declared on the front page of your assignment and the assignment cover sheet. The word count includes:
Please note, in text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)] and direct secondary quotations [e.g. “dib-dab nonsense analysis” (Smith, 2011 p.123)] are INCLUDED in the word count.
If this word count is falsified, students are reminded that under ARTA this will be regarded as academic misconduct.
The marker will stop reading at the point when they judge that the word limit exceeds the recommended word count by more than 10%. The marker will indicate the point at which they stop reading on the text.
Students must retain an electronic copy of this assignment (including ALL appendices) and it must be made available within 24hours of them requesting it be submitted.
The full Word Limit Policy is available here
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