International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT)
The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) is a global professional organization established in 1963 to enhance cooperation among various stakeholders in the field of forensic toxicology. With a membership of approximately 1,800 professionals from over 88 countries, TIAFT comprises individuals from diverse backgrounds including law enforcement, athletics, pharmacology, and toxicology. The organization plays a vital role in promoting the advancement of forensic toxicology through the exchange of ideas, research, education, and training.
As environmental issues and the need for qualified forensic toxicologists continue to rise, TIAFT focuses on fostering research and providing a platform for professionals to share experiences and knowledge. The association holds annual scientific meetings and publishes a quarterly bulletin to facilitate communication among its members. With a governance structure that includes an elected executive board and various membership levels, TIAFT encourages individuals interested in the field to participate actively. Overall, TIAFT aims to elevate the discipline of forensic toxicology, contributing significantly to its growth and addressing the increasing demand for expertise in toxic substance identification and analysis.
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International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT)
DATE: Founded on April 21, 1963
IDENTIFICATION: Worldwide professional organization that promotes cooperation and coordination among stakeholders in the field of forensic toxicology.
SIGNIFICANCE: As environmental concerns have increased around the world, the legal community’s need for qualified forensic toxicologists has risen also. The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists provides an arena for the advancement of ideas, knowledge, analytical techniques, research, education, and training in forensic toxicology.
Forensic was not developed into an academic discipline in the United States until the late twentieth century. The creation of three certification boards helped to professionalize the field: the American Board of Clinical Chemistry, the American Board of forensic Toxicology, and the American Board of Toxicology. The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) has continued the work of promoting the advancement of as a discipline by bringing together 1,800 members from more than eighty-eight nations in 2024. TIAFT members come from many different professional backgrounds, including policing, athletic medicine, law, pharmacology, and toxicology.
TIAFT’s activities are governed by a constitution that was adopted soon after the organization was created in 1963 and was last amended in 2001, with modifications in 2008 and 2017. The official language of the association is English, and four levels of membership are offered: full, student, sponsor, or honorary. The association elects an executive board every third year; the positions of president and president-elect are limited to single terms. The association collects annual dues, appoints regional representatives, maintains a Web site, and publishes a quarterly bulletin for its members.
One of TIAFT’s specific goals is to engage professionals from varied backgrounds who have an interest in the area of forensic toxicology or related areas of analytical toxicology. The association also promotes and encourages research in forensic toxicology and the interpretation of results from these analyses for its members. Discussions and exchanges among members concerning their professional experiences in the field as well as in education and training in forensic toxicology are also encouraged. The association holds at least one scientific meeting every year.
As forensic toxicology grows as a science, the need for professionals versed in the identification of poisonous substances is also on the rise in relation to legal endeavors. Whether they are isolating poisons involved in crimes or diseases, analyzing in sports doping cases, or identifying the illegal or prescribed drugs involved in cases of abuse or overdose, forensic toxicologists who provide accurate, impartial, and understandable analyses are in high demand. The need for forensic toxicologists is further compounded by rising concerns about toxic substances in homes and workplaces and the growing global concern with environmental pollution and contamination involving human-made toxins. TIAFT recognizes the importance of toxicology and aims to advance the field by providing a forum for its growth and development.
Bibliography
Hayes, A. Wallace, ed. Principles and Methods of Toxicology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis, 2007.
"International Association of Forensic Toxicologists." Global Civil Society Database, 2024, uia.org/s/or/en/1100029720. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.
"The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists." International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, 2024, www.tiaft.org/tiaft-association.html?setlang=en. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.
Klaassen, Curtis D., ed. Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Trestrail, John Harris, III. Criminal Poisoning: Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists, and Attorneys. 2d ed. Totowa, N.J. : Humana Press, 2007.