Legal Experts Gather to Discuss Hair Alcohol Testing

LONDON, October 20, 2010 - The role that hair alcohol testing plays in the UK legal
system is being discussed in a webcast organised by Trimega Laboratories and
chaired by a leading child law expert, Alex Verdan QC.

The live webcast, which takes place from 6-7pm on Thursday
21st October, aims to explore and analyse the issues surrounding the
application of testing for alcohol misuse using hair. The panel* of experts
present will also include the family law barristers George Butler and Jacqui
Gilliatt, solicitor Lorna Cservenka and Professor Dr Fritz Pragst, a
world-renowned forensic toxicologist and responsible for many techniques used
in hair alcohol testing.

Topics for discussion include the reliability of test results
as evidence of alcohol misuse or abstention and where these results fit in
the courtroom, mainly in child care orders where hair tests are requested
from parents in about a third of all cases. The panel will also consider the
importance of the consensus reached by the international 'Society of Hair
Testing' regarding the most accurate techniques available and implications
this has on future cases.

The consensus recognises, for example, that the propensity to
test accurately is greatly enhanced by new technology that combines the two
most commonly accepted methods of testing: EtG (ethyl glucuronide) and FAEE
(fatty acid ethyl esters).

According to Professor Pragst, who has pioneered this new
technology: "Used in isolation, EtG or FAEE in hair can lead to false
negative or false positive results but, by combining the two types of testing
together, the accuracy of results increases to a high extent. Such is the
significance of this to the legal community, particularly those practicing
family law, that we felt a webcast with some of the key figures would be an
excellent way of getting the message across."

Access to the webcast is free of charge but anyone interested
in taking part must first register at
www.trimegalabs.co.uk/savethedate.

    * PANEL:

    - Alex Verdan QC - 4PB

    - George Butler, Barrister, 4 Brick Court Chambers

    - Jacqui Gilliatt, Barrister, 4 Brick Court Chambers

    - Lorna Cservenka, Partner, HCL Hanne & Co

    - Professor Dr Fritz Pragst, University of Berlin

    Full biographies at www.trimegalabs.co.uk/savethedate.

Further information: Nick Heath (Ink PR) +44(0)20-7654-0730 / +44(0)7720-297972 / nick at inkpr.com