Cocaine Cuts Drug Testing Kit

A cutting agent is a substance mixed with the desired drug cocaine to increase its weight and volume, and the profit made from selling it. Cutting agents may also mimic the effects of the desired drug in order to create the impression that the drug is more pure than it really is.

Cutting agents can stretch supply, but also introduce health risks since some cutting agents can cause severe side effects.

This kit detects the following cutting agents commonly found in cocaine: 

• Levamisole: An additive used in veterinary medicine to treat worm infections and, often used to stretch cocaine and enhance its effects. Levamisole is estimated to be present in 80% of cocaine sold at street level in the United States.
• Phenacetin: A painkiller that is banned in many countries due to its harmful side effects such as carcinogenesis.
• Ephedrine: A stimulant used to mimic some of the effects of cocaine. Combining two or more stimulants (such as cocaine and ephedrine) can increase strain on the heart and make overdose more likely.

 The reaction will produce a colour change based on the specific cocaine cutting agent present. A colour chart is provided to help interpret the results.

The Cocaine Cuts Drug Testing Kit uses the Liebermann chemical reagent contained within a glass ampoule. When a small sample of the substance is introduced, it reacts with the reagent, and the resulting colour change will give an indication of which cocaine cutting agents may be present in the sample.

The Liebermann reagent is a mixture of Potassium Nitrite and sulphuric acid. It was initially developed to detect compounds containing a phenol group (an aromatic chemical group with the formula C6H5OH).

With phenols the Liebermann reagent causes nitration of the phenol group, which then dehydrates with an unchanged phenol molecule in the presence of sulphuric acid to form an
intermediary product. This is followed by an azo coupling to form indophenol. Nitrous acid and water then react with the indophenol to form its sodium salt.

Note that the specific reaction mechanism is dependent on the drugs present in the sample being tested.

What is Reagent Testing?

Reagents are chemicals (usually acids or bases) which react in a known way to the suspected contents of a sample. All reagents sold by EZ Tests are known to change colour according to the substance that they are testing for.

Reagent testing is the process of adding an unknown material to a chemical reagent to observe the reaction that follows. It is a form of forensic chemistry which aims to rule in and out certain chemicals or groups of chemicals with various reagents until the contents is known. Reagent testing does not guarantee the presence of any particular drug or the absence of any others.

Why is Reagent Testing Important?

Illicit drugs are made, sold and (often) consumed with no quality testing or indication of what they really contain. Unfortunately, this can result in bad experiences, anxiety and serious harm. Reagent tests offer a quick and easy way to get some idea of what you may be taking.

They are not perfect, and they do not replace professional laboratory testing services, but they can be vital and may save a life.

What are the Limitations of Reagent Testing?

Reagent testing cannot guarantee that a sample contains a certain drug, and it cannot guarantee that there is no other drug present. Despite testing, it is possible that a different chemical reacted similarly to the expected reaction, causing a false positive. It is also possible that there is a drug in your sample which does not react to the reagent in question, or the second reaction is obscured by the drug you expect to find, and therefore is not found in the tests. It is always a good idea to use three or more different tests on any sample, to reduce the risk of this happening.

If you are using a purity test then it is vital that you are testing a known quantity of the drug (and that this amount is the same as the amount specified in the instructions) or else the degree of colour change will not correspond to the purity of the sample.

The ampoule in which the reagents are supplied is made out of clear glass to allow reliable identification of colour changes. To ensure that the shelf life of your reagents is as long as possible, please store them in a cool, dark place such as your fridge or cool cupboard.

After testing, please ensure that the ampoule and any leftover sample are disposed of safely to prevent contamination or harm. Proper disposal helps protect yourself and others from potential exposure to harmful substances.

If the reagent comes into contact with your skin, you should wash the affected area with soap and lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes. If the reagent comes into contact with your eyes you should adhere to the same process with lukewarm water only.

This test is ideal for those who want to gain insight into the cutting agents that may be present in a sample of cocaine. 

• Clear Identification: Detects harmful cocaine cutting agents such as Levamisole, Phenacetin, and Ephedrine. 
• Quick and Easy: A simple process that takes only a few minutes to complete. 
• Safety Awareness: A valuable tool for anyone concerned about what adulterants  can be found in cocaine.