THE OCCURRENCE OF BENZODIAZEPINES IN BLOOD SAMPLES RECEIVED AT THE INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC CHEMISTRY IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, FOR ALCOHOL DETERMINATION, AND WHERE NO ALCOHOL WAS FOUND PRESENT

The occurrence of benzodiazepines were investigated in the negative blood alcohol samples from Danish drivers for half a year. A benzodiazepine-specific radioreceptor method was used for the screening and GLC and HPLC for the identification and quantification of the benzodiazepines plus their metabolites. Diazepam was by far the most frequently occurring drug (15 percent of 877 samples). Sixty-nine percent were men and 31 percent were women; most cases were aged 20 to 30 years. In only 22 percent of the positive cases had the police required analysis for benzodiazepines.