Rebecca Walker
Forensic Toxicology
CRJ 311
Dawn George
4/22/2013

History Forensic science is defined as the application of science to the law. There are different types of forensic science, and each plays an integral part in the criminal justice system. Forensic biology usually involved DNA testing and its results. Forensic anthropologists examine human remains that have become skeletons in an attempt to determine how long the remains have been in a location and to try to determine a possible cause of death. Forensic toxicology falls into the category of forensic chemistry. Forensic toxicologists study toxins, drugs, poisons, alcohol, and other things found in the blood or tissues of crime victims or perpetrators. Forensic toxicologists study the blood and tissues of living people as well as deceased persons. The rapid advancement of technology in the last century and, in particular, the last three decades, has helped forensic scientists solve many crimes, even those that had been cold for decades. Technology is quickly changing and improving the methods by which crimes can be solved. The first evidence of scientific methods being used to identify people occurred in China in 700BC. Chinese artists used fingerprints to identify pieces of art they had produced. Of course, there was not computerized system to file or categorize these fingerprints. However, this is the first known instance of fingerprints being used for identification purposes. Clearly, things have dramatically changed since that time in terms of using forensics to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system. Toxicology has been a particularly useful type of forensic science. Forensic toxicology is an interdisciplinary field applying the methods of analytical chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology to the analysis and interpretation of drugs and chemicals in