10. History of the Drug
• Methamphetamine, also known as meth, began use in WWII as a
drug to relieve soldiers from drowsiness.
• Japanese kamikaze pilots were given the drug in order to stimulate
their senses.
• Public meth use became widely known when surplus stored for military
use became readily available for the Japanese public.
• Later, in the 1950s, meth was prescribed as a diet aid and a counter to
depression.
• In the 1960s, meth grew popularity as the demand of injectable meth
became widely popular.
• In the 90s, Mexican drug trafficking has set up large factories in
California, some of which can produce over 50lbs of meth in a single
weekend. It is very common for a meth addict to be able to cook it in his
own home. Most of the drug is being produced in Asia, allowing it to be
available in Thailand, Myanmar, and China.
11. • Powerful, highly toxic, addictive
drug
• Illegally “cooked” in makeshift
labs
• Can be found in the form of pills,
capsules, powder or chunks
• Can be smoked, snorted, injected
or eaten
• a.k.a. crank, speed, crystal or ice
What is Methamphetamine?
13. I n g r e d i e n t s
• Alcohol
• Gasoline Additives
• Ether Starting
Fluid
• Benzene
• Paint Thinner
• Freon
• Acetone
• Camp Stove Fuel
• Ammonia
• Red Phosphorous
Yummy! Delicious!
• Lye
• Drain Cleaner
• Muriatic Acid
• Battery Acid
• Lithium from Batteries
• Sodium Metal
• Ephedrine
• Cold Tablets
• Diet Aids
• Iodine
• Bronchodilators
• Phenyl Acetone
14. HOW METH IS PRODUCED
• Red Phosphorous - ephedrine reduction with
hydriodic acid, or by combining red phosphorous
with iodine and water
• Anhydrous Ammonia - ephedrine reduction with
anhydrous ammonia and lithium or sodium metal
• Phenyl-2-Propanone (P2P) – older, more
complicated process using phenyl-2-propenane and
methylamine
15. Equipment Used in Meth Production
• Pyrex or Corning dishes
• Plastic or rubber tubing
• Rubber gloves
• Glass containers (all
types)
• Funnels
• Propane tanks
• Coffee filters
• Hot plates
16.
17.
18.
19. Immediate Physiological Effects
“What the drug is doing to the body.”
• Fight or Flight response…
• Increases heart rate & blood pressure:
– Your pulse will beat faster
• Raises body temperature:
– Feel warmer; Sweat more.
• Decreases appetite, sleep and pain
– You probably won’t feel like eating; You may not get
hungry even if you are physically active when high
(like with sex or dancing)
20. • Decreases saliva; dry mouth; thirst.
• Enlarges pupils.
• Constricts blood vessels:
– Less blood will flow to the surface of the body so your
hands and feet may feel cold to the touch.
– Hard to get an erection.
• Jaw grinding/clenching
Additional Immediate Physiological Effects
“What the drug is doing to the body.”
21. Short-Term Psychological & Behavioral Effects
Remember: Effects vary with Drug, Set and Setting
• Increased sense of energy & wakefulness
• Increased mental focus
– Able to focus on a specific tasks “Tune things out”
– ADHD Adderall / Ritalin
• Increased libido & sexual confidence
– Get Horny; Experience “other forms of sex”
– Intensifies sexual experience & prolongs sex play
– Shame & Guilt; Body image
22. Long-Term Psychological & Behavioural Effects
• Decreased depression
– Things that bothered you seem more manageable;
Think less about the people, & situations that hurt or
upset you; Feel happier or more content
• Decreased inhibitions (may or may not be good)
23. Short-Term Risks
• Dehydration; heat stroke
• Stroke / heart attack (esp. if mixing drugs)
• Do something you regret
– Impaired judgment & decision making regarding risks
• Infection
– Sharing snorting/smoking/injecting equipment
– Unsafe sex
• Oral abrasions
25. Withdrawal Symptoms
• Tolerance dependent.
• Symptoms can occur when use is stopped abruptly.
– fatigue; long, disturbed periods of sleep; irritability;
intense hunger, and moderate to severe depression.
• People may hide or disappear for several days.
• Length and severity related to how much and how often
amphetamines were used.
• Sleep!! Eat!!
26. Long-Term Consequences
• Dependence
– psychological; non-life-threatening withdrawal
• Weight loss
– some people weight gain
• Poor dental hygiene
– “meth mouth” (similar is true of other drugs)
• Sinus infection/damage if snorting
• Skin irritations
• Strains on internal organs (esp. heart)
27.
28. Short Term Effects
• Increased wakefulness, breathing,
and heart rate
• Decreased appetite
• Dry mouth
• Overheating
• Tremors and Convulsions
• Depression as it wears off
29. Long-Term Effects
• Anxiety, confusion, and sleep problems
• Hallucinations and delusions
• Methamphetamine Psychosis
• Psychotic behavior
• Chronic depression
• Severe weight loss
• Brain damage
36. How Do I Know if a Home is Contaminated?
• The only sure way to know if a home is contaminated is
by doing a wipe test and send it
through a lab.
• Most of the time meth is odorless.
• While it is being cooked, it has a smell almost like
burning plastic.
37. 1. Yellowish discolorations on walls, drains, sinks and
showers.
2. Bluish discolorations of faucets, fire extinguishers, propane
tank valves.
3. Fire Detectors are removed or have tape over them.
4. Burning in eyes, itchy throat, metallic taste in the mouth,
breathing problems in the home.
5. Strong solvent odors, odors of cat urine or ammonia.
6. Bleach stains on carpet.
7. Dark stains in sinks (yellow, purple or red)
8. Burn piles in the yard
9. Appearance of not caring.
Signs of Meth Home
44. Environmental Harm:
For each pound of meth produced, five to six pounds of hazardous
waste are generated, posing immediate and long-term
environmental health risks.
The chemicals used to make meth are toxic, and the lab operators
routinely dump waste into streams, rivers, fields, backyards and
sewage systems, which can in turn contaminate water resources for
humans and animals.
Cleaning up these sites requires specialized training and costs an
average of $2,000-$10,000 per site in funds that property owners
are often held liable, for the cost of the cleanup.
45. For every ONE pound of meth; 5 to 6 pounds of waste is created.
46. Hazards of Meth Lab Waste
• Iodine Stained Items
– Iodine sublimes when heated
– Upper respiratory and skin irritant, causing chest tightness, skin burns,
rashes
– IDLH 2ppm
• Death Bags
– Agitation will release phosphine gas
– Severe pulmonary irritant, causing chest tightness, breathing problems,
nausea, abdominal pain
– IDLH 50ppm
47. • Acids and Bases
– Skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation or burns
• Solvents
– Often flammable
– Skin eye and respiratory irritants
– Toxicity and exposure concerns vary by product
• Anhydrous Ammonia
– Containers under pressure can be explosive
– Upper respiratory and skin irritant, contact with
liquid causes caustic burns and frostbite
Hazards of Meth Lab Waste (cont.)
48. By-products and Contaminants Related to Meth Production
• Iodine/iodinated compounds
• Phosphine gas
• Yellow or white phosphorous (from overheating)
• Hydriodic acid gas
• Hydrogen chloride gas
• Phosphoric acid gas
• Meth residues
49. Meth Lab Remediation Waste
• Contents of Structure
– Contaminated personal
property
– Porous materials such as
carpets and drapes
– Cabinets, appliances, fixtures,
furniture
• Construction/Demo Debris
– Dry wall, paneling
– Flooring
– Ceiling tiles
– Insulation
50.
51.
52.
53.
54. Disposal Requirements
• Meth lab remediation waste may be disposed of as
solid waste.
• Notification to landfill must be provided for meth
contaminated material.
• Asbestos and lead paint abatement and disposal
requirements must be followed.
• Wash water can be containerized for offsite
disposal or discharged to sanitary sewer with
approval from POTW
55. • Nearly 10% of the homes on the Wasatch Front are
contaminated.
• Even higher percentage in Condos, Apartments.
• Meth is found in every neighborhood and doesn’t discriminate
based on social and economic circumstances.
• Avoid contamination of personal property.
• Personal & Family Safety.
• Personal & Financial Liability
• Avoid renovating twice. (See following pics)
• Increase revenue
Why Test for Meth?
56. How Does a Meth Home Get Cleaned?
• In the past it was extremely expensive to repair contaminated
homes.
• All porous materials must be thrown away. (sofa, carpets, blinds,
insulated ducts, mattresses, ceiling tiles, unprotected wood)
• In most cases the ducts, HVAC units, appliances are able to be
decontaminated.
• Homes need to be decontaminated through proper protocols and
elbow grease.
60. Recommending a Contractor
• Licensed and Insured
• Third Party Testing
• Valid Indiana Decontamination Specialist License
http://www.in.gov/idem/health/pages/drug_lab/qualified_inspectors.htm
• Full Decontamination Including Ducts & Furnace
• Use Safe, Non-toxic, Non-corrosive Product to Decontaminate
• Guarantee Their Work
62. FAMOUS PEOPLE &
METHAMPHETAMINE :
• Robert Downey Jr (arrested for possession of
cocaine and meth in 2000)
• Marilyn Monroe (treated by celebrity doctor Max
"Dr. Feelgood" Jacobson' with ‘formula’ made
of animal blood and methamphetamines)
• Adolf Hitler (From 1942 received daily injections
of methamphetamine from his personal
physician, Dr Theodor Morell)
• J F Kennedy ( Dr Feelgood’s shots of formula
supposedly helped cure his migraines, chronic
back pain, and lack of stamina)
• Amy Winehouse ( known for her meth, heroine,
and cocaine binges)
• Britney Spears (Lufti, Spears' "life coach," says
meth is to blame for the singer's 2007
meltdown )
64. Contact Us Joe Clark
Operations Manager
Water & Special Projects Division
jclark@protechsinc.com
Stan Smith
ssmith@ protechsinc.com
Fort Wayne: 2777 Sherman Blvd.
Warsaw: 1631 Armstrong Road
1-800-471-3165
www.protechsinc.com
