Meth Labs

[Ole WV Coot]

I'm not used to irony from you Coot. I may have to go lay down.

It's very common around this area. The "locals" were first taught to cook it years ago from pushers usually from Detroit, now Columbus and Dayton, OH. There is no shortage of it. It is controlled by politicians and local law enforcement who look the other way. Everything political revolves around money anywhere. Most of all it's easy to make, cheap and deadly. One guy I knew first lost his job, teeth, health then liver. He was on a transplant list, which surprised me, got a liver and before the transplant he was told to forget it, too far gone and died in two weeks. I could buy it myself, yet it's being made and sold in many places. What people do for money never ceases to amaze me. So common in this part of the country it's called "Hillbilly Heroin". Kinda pushes a button or two when people pretend it's not here.

[Max]

I come from a fairly nice middle class neighborhood in Austin, TX, and imagine my surprise when I came home for lunch one day during high school, and there are a dozen cop cars parked out front of my house and the neighbor's house, some in uniform and others not, and my mom is right in the the thick of it, chatting them up.

Apparently, our neighbors were running a meth lab, and we had no clue. We're talking, not 30 feet from our porch to theirs, and my parents aren't wet behind the ears. They grew up in Houston during the 60's and 70's, but we didn't notice anything strange or detect a smell while they were living there.

Makes you wonder about people and their total disregard for life and safety, because there was a family living there, not just the one guy.

Never saw the appeal in it either, when it's so clearly harmful on a quick and massive scale. I guess money is a powerful motivator for most, but to what end? Can't take it with you when you go... to prison, that is.

[Ken]

I guess money is a powerful motivator for most, but to what end? Can't take it with you when you go... to prison, that is.

You're right. They can leave it all with me!

[Schleprok]

plus Meth interferes with my moonshine business....

[swampmouse]

I noticed a building in the backyard of my freinds neighbors house smoking one day not long ago. He made the news. Methed-up big time and got busted. LOL! My bud says he never knew, I wonder is he broke all the time now.

[Lothaen]

Also of note are those campers and outdoorsy types who happen to stumble over meth labs in the woods. I know of a few members of another forum thrice removed from this one who would go meth lab hunting in deep woods. Not advisable.

I used to live in Tulsa; it is amazing to see how many labs are in the area. Notice the 21st street line... north of that line and the housing values drop sharply.

On a side note, what is the best round to shoot a meth lab with?

[Rick]

Incendiary?

[Mountain Man]

Also of note are those campers and outdoorsy types who happen to stumble over meth labs in the woods. I know of a few members of another forum thrice removed from this one who would go meth lab hunting in deep woods. Not advisable.

I used to live in Tulsa; it is amazing to see how many labs are in the area. Notice the 21st street line... north of that line and the housing values drop sharply.

On a side note, what is the best round to shoot a meth lab with?

Something you can be sure you are far, far, far, far, far far, far, far away

[chiangmaimav]

Meth is the biggest drug problem here, where it is called yaa baa which means crazy drug. It is like an epidemic.
Most of it is made in Burma, where the warlords who used to only deal in opium now have switched to meth because there is a greater profit margin and it is easier to hide production as the poppie fields are easy to find.

[Beo]

Here is some info from my department and what we look for, and some other info. Having dealt with this crap I can say it is dangerous and a growing concern all over the nation. We combat this daily in the more country areas of our county as meth dealers tend to use out of the way or remote locations although we have found them in the city and even a rolling RV meth lab.
The Meth Lab:
Meth can be manufactured in a clandestine drug lab that we all call a meth lab, in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations, including houses, apartment buildings, motels, vehicles, wooded areas or fields. Meth is “cooked” by applying common, readily available materials to one of several basic recipes.

Meth "recipes" can be easily obtained through the Internet or by associating with other cooks. There are hundreds of chemical products and substances that are used interchangeably to produce meth. The substitution of one chemical for another in meth recipes may cause the process to be more hazardous resulting in fire or explosion or may result in a tainted, final product with unwanted or dangerous effects.
Many dangerous chemical ingredients are used to make meth. The cooking process causes chemical residues and meth to be deposited on surfaces and household belongings. Also, chemical by-products such as toxic phosphine gas may be formed during meth manufacture. This may occur through planned chemical interaction, or by processing errors, such as increasing cooking temperatures too rapidly.

Every meth "recipe" starts with over-the-counter medications that include pseudoephedrine or ephedrine in their contents. The pills are crushed and mixed with other chemicals in the process of cooking meth. Various meth recipes include combinations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), acids, bases, metals, solvents and salts. Making meth with these chemicals can result in explosions, chemical fires, and the release of toxic gases.
Meth cooking also produces solid and liquid wastes that can contaminate a building and its contents, or the groundwater or soil where they are dumped.
Health effects caused by exposure to meth lab chemicals depend on: (1) the lab process and chemicals used; (2) the amount of chemical and length of exposure; and (3) the age and health of the person exposed. Chemicals may enter the body by being breathed, eaten, or absorbed through the skin.
An acute exposure is one that occurs over a relatively short period of time. Acute exposure to meth lab chemicals can cause shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, dizziness, lack of coordination, chemical irritation, or burns to skin, eyes, nose and mouth. Death could result when exposure is to a particularly toxic chemical or the person exposed is particularly vulnerable. Acute exposures can occur in non-drug users during or immediately after ‘cooking’.
Less severe exposures can result in symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue or lethargy. These symptoms have been known to occur in people exposed to active labs, but also in people ---particularly law enforcement personnel and other first responders --- who have entered a drug lab before the site has been cleaned or ventilated. These less-severe symptoms usually go away after several hours of exposure to fresh air.
Exposures to lab chemicals or byproducts over a long period of time - called chronic exposures - may cause both long-term and short-term health effects. Long-term exposures to VOCs may result in liver and kidney damage, neurological problems, and increased risk of cancer. Even at low levels, exposures for long periods by people living in a former lab site could result in serious health effects.
How do I recognize a meth lab?

Clues that may indicate illegal production or sales of drugs, including meth, are:
Frequent visitors at all times of the day or night,
Occupants appear unemployed, yet make cash purchases and payments,
Occupants are unfriendly, appear secretive about activities, or lie and display odd or paranoid behavior,
Covering or blacking-out of windows,
Other security measures, such as signs posted around the property, fences and cameras or baby monitors outside of buildings,
Burn pits, stained soil or dead vegetation indicating dumping of chemicals or waste,
Strong chemical odors, including sweet, bitter, ammonia or solvent smells at various and random times during the day and/or night,
Waste in trash, pits or piles, such as:
Packaging from over-the-counter ephedrine or pseudoephedrine cold, diet or allergy pills
Empty containers from: antifreeze, white gas, ether, starting fluids, Freon, lye or drain openers, paint thinner, acetone, or alcohol
Compressed gas cylinders, or camp stove (Coleman) fuel containers
Packaging from epsom salts or rock salt
Anhydrous ammonia tanks; propane tanks or coolers containing anhydrous ammonia
Pyrex/glass/Corning containers, with dried chemical deposits remaining
Bottles or containers connected with rubber hosing and duct tape
Coolers, thermos bottles, or other cold storage containers
Respiratory masks and filters or dust masks
Funnels, hosing and clamps
Coffee filters, pillow cases or bed sheets stained red (used to filter red phosphorous), or containing a white powdery residue

Hope this helps you and remember that this stuff is real dangerous and very volitile and explosive, dangerous to breath and will burn your skin. So if you come across anything you think is a meth lab or a true meth lab then call the police in your area right away.
Beo,

[chiye tanka]

Where I am, Lake county has one of the highest rates in the state for meth labs. We've found them in car trunks, in the middle of the cities, and burried in the woods in coolers with exaust tubes sticking out of the ground.
So far this year, we've done over thirty meth lab busts. The next highest is Polk county, with nine.

[crashdive123]

Where I am, Lake county has one of the highest rates in the state for meth labs. We've found them in car trunks, in the middle of the cities, and burried in the woods in coolers with exaust tubes sticking out of the ground.
So far this year, we've done over thirty meth lab busts. The next highest is Polk county, with nine.

Do you think that is because there is more of it, or is your department more active in going after it?

[chiye tanka]

Both Crash! We're fairly rural, so there's lots of places for them to hide the junk. Plus our drug unit's captain is, well lets just say he's been doing this stuff for a while.

[Ken]

Both Crash! We're fairly rural, so there's lots of places for them to hide the junk. Plus our drug unit's captain is, well lets just say he's been doing this stuff for a while.

You guys! Job security at its best!!!!

[Ken]

At least they won't be blowing up neighborhoods.

New Meth Formula Avoids Anti-Drug Laws

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32542373...ime_and_courts

[Winnie]

Wow! You know I've come to the conclusion I'm very naiive. I had no idea how prevalent this was or how dangerous, Living in the depths of the country has given me a false sense of security. I had no idea you dealt with stuff like this on such a large scale. Scary stuff.

[Rick]

Free enterprise at work. Faster, cheaper, better. Reduce overhead and increase profits. Now, if we can just figure out a way to add orange dye without them knowing it, everyone involved will be pretty easy to spot.

[Gut shot]

Yeah that crap is BAD news! Like we don't already have enough crack heads running around . I live in a rural area and a couple of years ago a house on the next street got busted for a meth lab , I didn't know the guy but he seemed normal , middle aged , well keeped yard nice cars / boat but not too nice , and quiet until the DEA busted his door off the hinges , The DEA took the house and i don't know what else , and ........somehow a Fed agent got the house for a great deal hmmmmmm

[OhioHillbilly]

"Hillbilly Heroine", as Mr. Coot calls it, is running rampant through Scioto county too. These folks will beat the hell out of a 70 yr. old for the money to buy some. Several years ago a close family member was involved in making it but he couldn't keep his nose out of it. He started going downhill fast. When I found out where he was staying I went to see him and he was living like a hermit. I gave him an out. But it was going to be under my rules. It took about two weeks to figger things out but he came and stayed with me and got himself cleaned up and back to work in the Union trades. Thank God.
Things could have ended up a lot worse.

[finallyME]

When my brother-in-law was going to Baylor Law School in Waco, they lived in a duplex. A month before he graduated, his wife smelled something and figured the other side of the duplex might be cooking meth. She called the police. They showed up at the other side and knocked on the door. When someone answered, they said "Are you the lady that called because your neighbors are cooking meth?". Eventually they went to the right door and talked to my sister-in-law. She was scared that they might retaliate for ratting them out, so she moved a month early to their new house in San Antonio. My brother-in-law had to stay to finish his last month. His last night in the duplex, he smelled smoke. He grabbed everything left in the place (not much, since they moved most of it) and drove his car out the garage. The fire department was there putting the fire out from the lab catching on fire. The neighbors told them no one lived in the other side, so no one went in to find him. He now lives in San Antonio making a fortune (to pay off his huge student debt) as a patent lawyer.