14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers working with King's College in London, UK are now looking for students ready and willing to give cocaine a try, all for the sake of science.
More precisely, these researchers wish to roll out a clinical study concerning this drug's effects on the human body, and can only carry on with their investigations if ordinary folks agree to offer their help and sniff cocaine in a controlled environment.
In order to find volunteers who might agree to take part in this clinical study, the scientists pieced together an email explaining what these experiments on cocaine were all about, and sent it to hundreds of undergraduate students, Red Orbit explains.
When composing this email, the researchers wished to make it as clear as possible that those who agreed to offer their support to this study must not be either recreational users of this drug, or medical and dental students.
Furthermore, they must bear in mind the fact that, for a period of roughly four months after their being given cocaine, they will not be allowed to either cut or die their hair.
Lastly, it appears that only men between the ages of 25 and 40 are allowed to take part in these investigations.
Needless to say, the volunteers involved in this research will be asked to provide biological samples (i.e. blood, urine, hair, sweat and saliva) on a fairly regular basis, which is why availability for follow-up meetings is also an issue.
Commenting on the university's decision to roll out this clinical study, a spokesperson for King's College made a case of how, “This is an important scientific study to investigate how cocaine and its metabolites are spread through the human body.”
“The study will be conducted under the highest level of medical supervision in a dedicated clinical research suite,” the spokesperson further emphasized.
By the looks of it, the clinical study has already been approved by the London Westminster Research Ethics Committee, and those taking part in it will be kept a close eye on by trained personnel working with the Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital.
As the university's spokesperson put it, “All the relevant ethical approvals were received for this study.”