ABSTRACT
One of the key tasks faced by forensic practitioners is to determine the role that a specific drug (or drugs) plays in instances of impairment and death. This task is made complicated by a series of issues, many of which arise simply because physicians,
toxicologists and lawmakers fail to understand the basic issues of forensic science, and the way these issues may interplay in complex legal, clinical and pathological matters. As a consequence, the interpretation of forensic evidence is often based more on anecdote and intuition than controlled scientific studies. Inadequate or bad science, or the misinterpretation of established sciences can lead to wrong legal decisions. Faulty and unjust conclusion can only be avoided if the limitations of the science are understood.
