Police can now tell if you’ve used cocaine by your fingerprints

A new forensic test means police will soon be able to detect if people have been using cocaine via their fingerprints within seconds.

Designed by scientists from the Netherlands and UK, the paper spray mass spectrometry technique uses a special type of paper that detects chemicals in people’s sweat, created when they metabolise cocaine.

Researchers say the test is 99 per cent accurate and hand washing does not prevent detection. They also say the test may be able to be used to detect other drugs.

The test is far less invasive than previous methods that involved taking blood, saliva and urine samples.

Dr Melanie Bailey of Surrey University said: “This is a real breakthrough in our work to bring a real time, non-invasive drug-testing method to the market that will provide a definitive result in a matter of minutes – we are already working on a 30-second method.”

“And, as with previous methods we have developed, it is non-invasive, hygienic and can’t be faked – by the nature of the test, the identity of the subject, and their drug use, is all captured within the sample itself.”

News of this comes just months after reports of "100 per cent pure" cocaine circulating in the UK.

Head here to see some vintage cocaine adverts.

[Via: the Independent]

Louis Anderson-Rich is Mixmag's Digital Producer. Follow him on Twitter