Drug Use during Incarceration: A Comprehensive Quality and Prevalence Study in Three Danish Prisons.
Substance use & misuse January 1, 2025 Torbjørn Lien Kjær, Peter Hindersson, Jacob Rong Bentzen et al. 2 citations
A quality-control study of drug testing in three Danish prisons found that on-site immunoassay screening performed acceptably for the substances it targeted, with sensitivity ranging from 66 to 100%, specificity above 98%, and accuracy above 95%. However, laboratory analysis using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS detected additional drugs not covered by the screening, including tramadol, oxycodone, buprenorphine, ketamine, MDMA, 4-fluoroamphetamine, and GHB. The prevalence of drug use among inmates was, in order: cannabis, ethanol, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and amphetamine. No evidence emerged of a trend toward new psychoactive substances (NPS). The findings prompted plans to implement a broader screening method to reduce false negatives.