Cigarette butts can be a good source of DNA if they have not been contaminated. The more a cigarette has been smoked the more DNA is likely to be available. The success rate of obtaining a DNA from profile from cigarette butts is influenced by a number of variables such as storage and handling conditions. A cigarette that has been shared is likely to produce a mixed DNA profile. When submitting cigarette butts for DNA testing please ensure the following:
Wear gloves when handling the samples to avoid contamination
Take the cigarette butts from an ashtray rather than from the street
Submit 3-5 cigarette butts for testing
Using gloves, place the cigarette butts in a plastic bag and send to DTL for testing
Finally, place the envelopes or plastic bag into the DTL self-addressed envelope with your submission form and send back to DTL for processing.
