I've been reading a good deal about the effects of cocaine on the human body as I enter the homestretch of composing my next book, which also involves the stimulation of similar pleasure centers of the brain. That said, you can imagine my interest in the topic of Yuegang Zuo's talk at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society: His research estimates that 90 percent of U.S. bills carry traces of cocaine. Now don't be alarmed. Cocaine binds to the green dye in money and a good deal of cross-contamination happens when bills get whisked through ATM machines. So we're talking about very small trace amounts--not enough to put your health at risk. Still, the findings of this study out of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth cast an intriguing light on how easily we come into contact with drugs, germs, and more as we course about our daily lives. Percentages of contaminated bills vary by location and Zuo plans investigate whether his data can illustrate cocaine use regionally. Read more at CNN...
