# Why do cops in movies taste cocaine?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cops-in-movies-taste-cocaine/352092>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 10, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cops-in-movies-taste-cocaine/352092 "2006-04-10T15:28:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cops-in-movies-taste-cocaine/352092/1 "2006-04-10T15:28:54Z")

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Referencing this [Straight Dope Staff Report.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcocaine.html)

The report ends by saying: _Further, such trace amounts could show up in the person’s next urine drug screen, and a positive for cocaine metabolites in the urine would warrant disciplinary action. There’d be no way for anyone to tell an “on-the-spot drug tester” from a recreational user._

Is this strictly true? I thought that by testing hair from a person’s head they could accurately determine when and how much of a particular drug was used over the whole period of the hair’s growth?