Drugs have a habit of making their way from our bodies into the
environment: they’ve frequently been found in waste water,
drinking water, and rivers (not to mention on dollar bills). But
they could also be rising into the air, and a new study suggests
their aerial concentrations could give scientists a clue to
what, exactly, is happening on the ground below. Following up on
earlier research showing that cocaine was present in the air
above the cities of Taranto and Rome, Italian researchers at the
Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research in Rome took about
60 samples of air in various regions and tested for a number of
contaminants, including cocaine, cannabinoids (chemicals found
in marijuana), and more common pollutants, like ozone and
hydrocarbons. When they looked to see whether there was a
correlation between cocaine concentration and addicts’ requests
for treatment in particular geographical areas, they found a
very strong relationship. Weaker correlations existed between
cocaine concentration and p