Is There A Meth Lab in Your Neiborhood

***kci.
org Anti-Meth info - Manufacturing of Methamphetamine***
IS THERE A METH LAB COOKIN' IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
Many people may be unaware that they're living near a meth lab. Meth labs turn u p in houses, barns, apartments, trailers, campers, cabins and motel rooms even t he backs of pickups. The equipment for a meth lab can be as small as to fit in a duffel bag, a cardboard box or the trunk of a car. Here are some things to look for in identifying a meth lab: Unusual, strong odors (like cat urine, ether, ammonia, acetone or other chem icals). Residences with windows blacked out. Renters who pay their landlords in cash. (Most drug dealers trade exclusivel y in cash.) Lots of traffic - people coming and going at unusual times. There may be lit tle traffic during the day, but at night the activity increases dramatically. Excessive trash including large amounts of items such as: antifreeze contain ers, lantern fuel cans, red chemically stained coffee filters, drain cleaner and duct tape. Unusual amounts of clear glass containers being brought into the home. Windows blacked out or covered by aluminum foil, plywood, sheets, blankets, etc. Secretive / protective area surrounding the residence (like video cameras, a larm systems, guard dogs, reinforced doors, electrified fencing). Persons exiting the structure to smoke Little traffic during the day, but high traffic at late hours; including dif ferent vehicles arriving and staying for short periods of time. Little or no mail, furniture, visible trash and no newspaper delivery. Presence of the following items could indicate the existence of a meth lab: Alcohol Ether Benzene Toluene/Paint Thinner Freon Acetone Chloroform Camp Stove Fuel/Coleman Fuel Starting Fluid Anhydrous Ammonia "Heet" White Gasoline Phenyl-2-Propane Phenylacetone Phenylpropanolamine Iodine Crystals Red Phosphorous Black Iodine
Lye (Red Devil Lye) Drano Muriatic/Hydrochloric Acid Battery Acid/Sulfuric Acid Epsom Salts Batteries/Lithium Sodium Metal Wooden Matches Propane Cylinders Hot Plates Ephedrine (over-the-counter) Cold Tablets Bronchodialators Energy Boosters Rock Salt Diet Aids The ease with which methamphetamine can be manufactured is a major contributing factor to the increase in its use. Law enforcement officials identify and close hundreds of clandestine methamphetamine labs each year. Large operations produce methamphetamine in Mexico and California. Outside of these areas, small rural l aboratories are more common. Rural areas are popular sites for production becaus e strong odors are produced during manufacture. "Mobile labs" have begun to appe ar in a number of states, making seizures more complicated. The manufacture of m ethamphetamine is simple because it does not require agriculture, specialized eq uipment, or advanced technical training. It is easily "cooked" up by anyone in a makeshift lab hidden in mobile homes, warehouses, or even motel rooms. Congress enacted the Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996 to curb the production and abus e of methamphetamine by controlling the key chemicals necessary to produce the d rug and by increasing criminal sentences for its possession and distribution. Me thamphetamine hydrochloride is easily produced using ephedrine, hydroiodic acid (both controlled substances), or over-the-counter pseudoephedrine found in cold medication. Hydroiodic acid is a necessary ingredient in one of the major manufa cturing processes. Although strictly controlled, it can be created by combining red phosphorous and iodine - chemicals that are not regulated. Recently, phenylp ropanolamine has been used as a precursor chemical to produce amphetamine. Howev er, this product is also marketed as methamphetamine. The key ingredient of methamphetamine is ephedrine, a controlled substance. Beca use it is difficult to obtain ephedrine, drug dealers use pseudoephedrine, found in many over-the-counter medicines. These medicines are processed to remove buf fers and produce ephedrine. Cash purchases of large quantities of red phosphorou s and iodine (for hydroiodic acid) are made by drug dealers in order to produce methamphetamine. No federal regulations or quantity limitations control the sale of these chemicals; therefore, it is difficult for the DEA to track their posse ssion. As part of the Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, these chemicals, alon g with pseudoephedrine, have been added to the target list in the Chemical Diver sion and Trafficking Act, CDTA. With the ability to track the sale of large quan tities of these chemicals, the DEA will be able to identify major manufacturers of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) identified clandestine laboratories in Mexico and California as the major sources of methamphetamine. Legal access to an abund ant supply of chemical precursors in Mexico makes this country a major producer. The ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction method is common in Mexico because of t he abundant supply of these chemicals. Organized crime groups operating in Mexic o run major distribution channels. They have access to wholesale ephedrine sourc es of supply on the international market; they produce vast quantities of high-p
urity methamphetamine on a regular basis; and they already control established c ocaine, heroin, and marijuana distribution networks through-out western, southwe stern, and, increasingly, southern and Midwestern states. Small, rural, locally controlled laboratories have become more prominent, especi ally in the Midwest. In Missouri, the DEA reports that many local entrepreneurs are women, who dominate production and teach others the production process. Once caught, they are tough to prosecute due to a tremendous backlog in testing conf iscated substances. No matter the size of the lab or who runs it, processing methamphetamine is dang erous. Ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and toxic chemicals can cause explosions, fires, toxic fumes, and damage to health and environment. More information abou t manufacturing methamphetamine may be found in a NIDA monograph (Miller & Kozel , 1991). *Information provided by Missouri Department of Mental Health.

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***kci.

org Anti-Meth info - Manufacturing of Methamphetamine***

IS THERE A METH LAB COOKIN' IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

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