Editing Cocaine (section)

=== Detection in the body ===

==== Body fluids ====
Cocaine and its major metabolites may be quantified in blood, plasma, or urine to monitor for use, confirm a diagnosis of poisoning, or assist in the forensic investigation of a traffic or other criminal violation or sudden death. Most commercial cocaine [[immunoassay]] screening tests cross-react appreciably with the major cocaine metabolites, but [[chromatography|chromatographic]] techniques can easily distinguish and separately measure each of these substances. When interpreting the results of a test, it is important to consider the cocaine usage history of the individual, since a chronic user can develop tolerance to doses that would incapacitate a cocaine-naive individual, and the chronic user often has high baseline values of the metabolites in his system. Cautious interpretation of testing results may allow a distinction between passive or active usage, and between smoking versus other routes of administration.<ref>R. Baselt, ''Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man'', 9th edition, Biomedical Publications, Seal Beach, California, 2011, pp. 390–394.</ref>

==== Hair ====
[[Hair analysis]] can detect cocaine [[metabolite]]s in regular users until after the sections of hair grown during the period of cocaine use are cut or fall out.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/8693061/Cocaine_Metabolites_in_Hair.html|title=Cocaine Metabolites in Hair|vauthors=Czykanski M|date=30 December 2015|website=Chemistry Views|access-date=22 July 2019|archive-date=22 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722212558/https://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/8693061/Cocaine_Metabolites_in_Hair.html|url-status=live}}</ref>