Abstract
Nyaope, a Tswana word for a mixture or ‘mish-mash’, describes a drug cocktail consisting of heroin, cannabis, and on occasion other controlled substances and warfarin. It is highly addictive with extremely unpleasant side effects caused by withdrawal from the drug. It is a problem drug especially in townships in South Africa. However, its prevalence in neighbouring southern African states and further afield is not yet known. There is currently no validated method for the analysis and comparison of nyaope. We describe a validated method for the gas chromatography – mass spectrometry analysis of nyaope so that within-batch and between-batch comparisons of nyaope can successfully be made for the first time. The validated method managed an accuracy within the range 80–120%, the precision was less than 20% for all analytes and managed linearity with R2≥0.99. The detection limits for diamorphine, efavirenz, nevirapine and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol were 14.2, 18.6, 18.7 and 9.94 pg on column, respectively, and the limits of quantitation were 43.1, 56.3, 56.6 and 30.1 pg on column, respectively. The simulated and casework samples were successfully discriminated into original batches using the identified nyaope components, the unsupervised chemometric methods principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering, as well as chromatographic profiles. Significance: A validated method for the analysis and comparison of nyaope allows for data exchange between law enforcement agencies in South Africa and, provided the appropriate quality control measures are in place, between South Africa, neighbouring states and countries further afield. Additionally, public health measures can be put in place now that it is possible to use a validated method to determine the contents of nyaope.
Highlights
Despite the first reports being in the early 2000s1,2, there remains a dearth of analytical chemistry and forensic science literature on the drug ‘nyaope’
We present, for the first time, a validated analytical method for the identification of nyaope and quantification of the drug components, which addresses the analysis of heroin and cannabis when contained in the same drug sample
Tertiary butyl alcohol has previously been shown to be the solvent of choice for presenting nyaope extracts to the gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS).[12]
Summary
Despite the first reports being in the early 2000s1,2, there remains a dearth of analytical chemistry and forensic science literature on the drug ‘nyaope’. An unpublished study reports a much wider range of drugs found in nyaope samples.[3] In parts of South Africa, it is known as ‘Woonga’ (spelled ‘Wunga’ in Zulu).[2] It has no single composition and mixtures follow trends[4], the predominant drug by mass is cannabis, followed by heroin. It is typically smoked after being mixed with tobacco
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