Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 13, 2008 8:46:37 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Cities' Sewage Serves as Giant Drug Test

Posted Jun 23, 08 4:38 PM CDT in Science & Health,  US 

(Newser) – Across the world, raw sewage is being analyzed for clues to illegal drug use. Environmental scientists are testing waste from US and European cities to gather data, which reveals everything from what's popular to which days see the greatest use of which substances. "Every sample has one illicit drug or another, regardless of location," a chemist tells the LA Times.

The results revealed a multitude of trends. Coke is a party drug—usage spikes on Saturday. Methamphetamine levels in Las Vegas sewage were much higher than those in Omaha or Oklahoma City. LA County tested higher for cocaine than many European cities, and Londoners leave behind more traces of heroin than residents of Italian or Swiss cities.

Source Los Angeles Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon
A sewer grate at a New York City intersection.   (Getty Images)
Methamphetamine, colored with strawberry-flavored children's drink mix is shown in Springfield, Mo.   (AP Photo/Community Partnership, File)
An underground sewer overflows in Great Yarmouth, England.   (Getty Images (by Event))
A Huntington Beach, Calif., municipal employee works in the city's sewer system.   (KRT Photos)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

London  • drugs  • Las Vegas  • cocaine  • heroin  • drug test  • methamphetamine  • Milan  • sewage


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »