Prior research has indicated that illicit drug powders contain traces of human and non-human DNA, most likely arising as a result of unintentional contamination during manufacture, cutting or distribution. Although DNA has been detected on drug packages before (indicating who had most recently handled them), the discovery of DNA within the drugs themselves had not previously been reported. This report reflects a more detailed examination of human DNA in drugs and the feasibility of extracting from it useful information. The project aims to identify how frequently drugs contain human DNA; assess the relative merits of various methods for profiling this DNA and make recommendations on which to use; and establish the conditions under which DNA survives in drug powders.