Studying illicit substance exposure among urban adolescents using forensic science

There are critical challenges to measuring substance use exposure, particularly among adolescents, with major limitations to the most common methods of assessment – self-report and biomarker (urine, saliva) analysis. This study examines the use of wipe sampling as a measure of adolescent illicit substance exposure. Among low-income families, this study compared forensically analyzed wipe samples from 51 adolescents’ homes and cell phones with self-reported substance use to identify overlaps and discrepancies. There were major gaps between adolescents reporting any substance use in the past year and adolescents whose homes and/or cell phones tested positive for illicit substances via wipe sample analysis. This study builds upon previous adolescent substance use and exposure research, highlighting the profound limitations of self-reported use, and introducing wipe sampling as an effective measure of toxicant exposure. Wipe samples also provide a means to examine environmental contexts in new novel ways.