ABSTRACT
From the perspective of the forensic toxicologist or pathologist, the distinction between sedative and hypnotic may oen be trivial, particularly in the face of explaining either signicant impairment or perhaps even a death. However, a sedative or tranquilizer can be thought of as a substance that has a calming eect, reducing excitement or activity level. In contrast, a hypnotic is a compound that induces sleep. e distinction is valid in a descriptive sense, but nevertheless, there may be considerable overlap in eects between the two types of compounds. In practice, the ability of these compounds to produce CNS depression is the underlying criteria for their function and for the eects that bring cases involving these drugs into the forensic world. While there are literally hundreds of compounds that could be considered as non-opiate sedatives or hypnotics, a brief overview of some selected groups and compounds can provide a working understanding of the group.
