Pubdate: Thu, 08 Aug 2002
Source: Eufaula Tribune, The (AL)
Copyright: Eufaula Tribune 2002
Contact:  http://www.eufaulatribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1921
Author: Ann Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER

A light bulb without a filament or a small piece of burned aluminum foil 
might appear at first glance to be harmless trash. The same goes for 
carelessly discarded empty Red Devil lye cans, unused match books, charcoal 
starter containers or camera batteries.

All of these are items that could easily be part of household trash. They 
can also be signs of the use or manufacture of methamphetamine, a 
dangerous, illegal drug now being manufactured and used in Eufaula and 
Barbour County.

An expert on the manufacture and devastating effects of methamphetamine 
presented some frightening facts to the 58 people who attended a community 
awareness program at the Bevill Center Monday night.

Tom Halasz is a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, an 
agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. He shared his expertise with an 
audience that included concerned parents, teachers, students, interested 
citizens and representatives from law enforcement agencies.

Closer examination of the light bulb without the filament shows a hole in 
the bulb. It had been made into a pipe to smoke meth. The piece of aluminum 
foil is another smoking device, used to "chase the chicken," by using a 
straw to inhale heated meth as it "danced" around on the piece of foil.

The unused matchbooks are full of matches, but the "strike" strip is gone 
because it is red phosphorus, one of the ingredients used to make 
methamphetamines. The camera batteries have been cut open to retrieve the 
lithium, which will ignite spontaneously on contact with water.

Halasz demonstrated with a table full of common, everyday household 
products being used every day in the manufacture of the drug. Meth "cooks" 
take the items and extract from them the chemicals used in the manufacture 
of methamphetamine.

All the products can be easily purchased at large discount stores, large 
drug stores, hardware stores and auto supply stores. Halasz said 
methamphetamine used to be manufactured in large labs with real lab 
equipment. However, in 1990, Congress passed the Pre-Curser Control Act, 
requiring the seller to take an identification and call the Drug 
Enforcement Administration before the sale of certain chemicals. While the 
law was effective in stopping bit lab production of methamphetamines, it 
drove the producers to make-shift labs in kitchens and garages, and the 
dangerous chemical extraction process they use today.

The chemicals are extracted from ordinary products, and the lab equipment 
is put together from things like Mr. Coffee glass pots, "grandmother's 
canning jars," plastic gasoline cans, discarded propane tanks and pieces of 
cut-off garden hose.

Almost every chemical used is hazardous, especially under the wrong 
conditions. Red phosphorus is extremely difficult to extinguish if it 
catches fire. The lye in Drano can cause severe burns to the skin. 
Anhydrous ammonia, often stolen from farmers, is pure ammonia. It is an 
extreme irritant to the respiratory system. It expands when closed up and 
is also flammable.

Iodine in pure form is available from farm supply stores for disinfecting 
hooves and feet of livestock, but it is also extremely toxic.

The list goes on. It's no small wonder that 15 percent of meth labs 
discovered by law enforcement are found because they blow up and start a 
fire. The majority of the ingredients are flammable, and often the meth 
cooks are people who are users of the drug.

In addition to the highly flammable nature of the mixture, the fumes can be 
deadly.

Meth Abuse Spreading

Halasz said abuse of methamphetamines has been a problem in California and 
Texas for years. Now "we are seeing a tremendous increase" across the 
heartland, or mid-section of the country. The Southeast now is on "the 
fringe" and can expect the abuse to increase.

The evidence of growing methamphetamine use in Barbour County is clear. 
Four labs have been discovered in the county this year. Two of them were 
near downtown Eufaula. One resident expressed her concern about the 
discovery of two labs in and near residential neighborhoods, and asked what 
citizens could do.

Signs Of Meth Labs

Halasz said signs that might indicate methamphetamine production at a 
location could be suspicious or strong chemical-type odors, or suspicion 
that common household products or chemicals are being used for something 
other than their intended use, such as a lot of empty solvent cans.

If people are coming outside a residence to smoke, that "might mean their 
wife doesn't want them smoking inside." But it could also mean they know if 
they smoke inside they could blow up the chemicals they are using to make 
meth, Halasz said.

Discovery of a large number of empty blister packs that contained common 
antihistamine tablets sold over the counter could also indicate a meth lab. 
Pseudo-ephedrine, the basic ingredient of antihistamines, is one of the 
main chemicals extracted for meth production. It takes 2,000 decongestant 
pills to make four ounces of meth. But Halasz says since people on a meth 
binge may go days without sleeping, they have plenty of time to punch the 
pills out of the packs.

Dangerous Disposal

The main concern of meth cooks is not to get caught, so they don't care 
about safe chemical handling in disposing of their waste chemicals, Halasz 
says.

"They (the chemicals) can get in the ground water, in soil and in the 
buildings they occupy. They permeate the carpet and the dry wall."

Since a lot of rental property is used for meth labs, the owners get left 
with the clean-up bill and insurance won't cover damages where criminal 
activity was involved.

"This can be costly-more costly than the property is worth," Halasz said.

Law enforcement is mandated to remove the chemicals and any contaminated 
debris such as jars, filters and paper from a meth lab. Fortunately for 
local authorities, the DEA has a funding mechanism to pay for the hazardous 
waste chemical clean-up.

"But we don't remove the contamination to a house or to ground water."

Halasz said meth is manufactured in residences, outbuildings, motel rooms 
and vehicles that often keep moving as the meth is being cooked.

Part II of Halasz's presentation will cover the effects on abusers of 
methamphetamines, Ecstasy and GHB, the "date rape" drug. It will appear in 
the next issue of The Tribune.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager