Forensic Toxicology Blog
Evidence-based articles about toxicology, expert testimony, legal developments, alcohol, drugs, and forensic testing.
Acetaldehyde in Blood-Alcohol Testing: What It Means
Short answer: Acetaldehyde can be detected in blood specimens, especially when decomposition, storage, or analytical conditions are relevant. Its presence does not by itself prove that ethanol formed after death, that a blood-alcohol result is false, or that fermentation occurred. Reviewed and updated July 24, 2026. What is acetaldehyde? Acetaldehyde…
Why Smart People Believe Irrational Things
Short answer: Intelligence can make complex reasoning easier, but it does not guarantee accurate starting assumptions, relevant knowledge, intellectual humility, or a willingness to question a favored conclusion. Smart people can be skilled at defending a belief as well as testing it. Reviewed and updated July 24, 2026. Intelligence and…
Why Intelligent People Hold Irrational Political Beliefs
Short answer: Political beliefs are not formed by intelligence alone. Group identity, prior knowledge, trusted messengers, moral values, and selective exposure all shape how evidence is interpreted. Intelligence may improve accuracy in some settings, but it does not make anyone immune to partisan bias. Reviewed and updated July 24, 2026….
Suboxone and Tooth Decay: FDA Warning and Prevention
Short answer: Suboxone and other buprenorphine medicines that dissolve in the mouth have been linked to cavities, tooth erosion, infection, fractures, and tooth loss. The FDA emphasizes that buprenorphine’s benefits for opioid use disorder clearly outweigh this risk. Do not stop it on your own. Reviewed and updated July 24,…
Rare GLP-1 Side Effects: Evidence and Warning Signs
Short answer: Most side effects of GLP-1–based medicines are gastrointestinal, but uncommon serious problems can include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney injury from dehydration, severe allergic reactions, and complications from delayed stomach emptying. Risks and label language differ by drug and indication. Reviewed and updated July 24, 2026. “GLP-1” is not…
Depo-Provera and Meningioma Risk: What Studies Show
Short answer: Several large observational studies report an association between depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, commonly known as Depo-Provera) and meningioma, especially with prolonged exposure. The studies do not prove that the drug caused an individual tumor, and relative risk is not the same as absolute risk. Reviewed and updated July…
Lamotrigine and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome: Warning Signs
Short answer: Lamotrigine (Lamictal) can cause rare, life-threatening skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Because a harmless rash cannot always be distinguished early from a serious one, a new rash requires prompt medical advice. Reviewed and updated July 24, 2026. What the boxed warning says The FDA-approved…
Pink Cocaine (Tusi): What It Contains and Why It Is Risky
Short answer: “Pink cocaine,” often called tusi or tucibi, is not a standardized drug. It is usually a dyed mixture of other substances and often contains neither cocaine nor 2C-B. The greatest danger is that the ingredients and strength can change from batch to batch. Reviewed and updated July 24,…
Ninth Circuit Open-Carry Decisions: What They Mean
A Ninth Circuit panel struck down the urban open-carry ban in January. The full court has since voted to rehear the case and vacated that opinion. The ban remains in force for now.
California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act Decision
On its second look at the Age-Appropriate Design Code, the Ninth Circuit put the age-estimation rule back in play while keeping the data-use and “dark patterns” provisions frozen for vagueness. A compliance map for services likely accessed by minors.
Federal Immigration Enforcement and the Supremacy Clause
The Ninth Circuit paused California’s “No Vigilantes Act,” ruling the state likely cannot force non-uniformed federal agents to display identification. Here is what the order does, and what it leaves undecided.
Research-Funding Litigation and the Trump Administration
In Thakur v. Trump , the Ninth Circuit split the difference for University of California researchers: viewpoint-based cancellations stay vulnerable, while routine terminations may sit beyond a federal court’s reach.
