PRESENTED BY THE SAMPSON COUNTY METHAMPHETAMINE TASK FORCE
Facts · Risks · Signs · Recognizing Meth Labs · Items Found at Met Labs

Stay informed. In 2001, methamphetamine use sent more people to the emergency room than use of any other club drug. Over half of these cases involved meth in combination with another drug, such as alcohol, heroin, or cocaine.

Know the risks. There are a lot of risks associated with using methamphetamine, including:

• Meth can cause a severe “crash” after the effects wear off.
• Meth use can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain.
• Meth users who inject the drug and share needles are at risk for acquiring HIV/AIDS.

Know the Signs…

How can you tell if a friend is using meth? It may not be easy to tell but there are signs you can look for. Symptoms of methamphetamine use may include:

• Inability to sleep
• Increased sensitivity to noise
• Nervous physical activity, like scratching – possible skin lesions
• Irritability, dizziness, or confusion
• Pale face
• Extreme anorexia
• Tremors or even convulsions
• Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of stroke
• Presence of inhaling paraphernalia, such as razor blades, mirrors, and straws
• Presence of injecting paraphernalia, such as syringes, heated spoons, or surgical tubing.

The Sampson County Methamphetamine Task Force encourages your support and participation in reducing the tragedies of “meth addiction”.

12 CLUES FOR RECOGNIZING METH LABS

1. The mixing of unusual chemicals in a house, garage or barn by persons not involved in the chemical industry.
2. Possession of unusual materials such as large amounts of over-the-counter allergy/cold/diet medications (containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine), or large quantities of solvents such as Acetone, Coleman Fuel, Toluene, etc.
3. The possession of chemical glassware by someone not involved in the chemical field.
4. Unusual amounts of clear glass containers being brought into the home.
5. Late night secretive activity in a rural/farm area. Lots of traffic: People coming and going at unusual times. There may be little traffic during the day, but at night, the activity increases dramatically.
6. Unusual, strong odors (like cat urine, ether, ammonia, acetone or other chemicals).
7. Residences with operating fans in windows in cold weather.
8. Residences with windows blacked out.
9. Renters who pay their landlord in cash. (Most drug dealers trade exclusively in cash.)
10. Excessive trash including large amounts of items such as: Antifreeze containers, lantern fuel cans, red chemically stained coffee filters, drain cleaner and duct tape.
11. Chemical odors coming from sheds, outbuildings, other structures, fields, orchards, campsites, or especially vehicles (older model cars and pickup trucks, vans and rental/moving vans) etc. Items are usually kept covered up in vehicles.
12. Boxes or drums with corrosive, flammable, poison, or other “safety” placards.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS MAY BE FOUND AT A METH LAB SCENE
CHEMICALS Aluminum Foil Anhydrous Ammonia Battery Acid/Sulfuric Acid Drain Cleaner (Sulfuric acid) Drano Crystals (Sodium hydroxide) Hydrogen Peroxide Iodine (crystals, tincture of iodine, iodine disinfectants, iodine “prills”) Lithium metal (from lithium batteries) Lye (Red Devil Lye, sodium hydroxide) Muriatic/Hydrochloric Acid Propane (canisters) Red Phosphorous (from matchbook strikers, strikers from road flares) Rock Salt (table salt) Sodium Metal	EQUIPMENT Blender or Coffee Grinders, (often with white powder residue) Coffee Filters with white, red, purple, brown or black residues Duct Tape Electric Skillets Funnels Gas generators (bottles or jars with attached hoses) Gasoline Cans Hot Plates Jars with “separated or layer” liquids Plastic Bags Propane Cylinders Pyrex Dishes (drying) Rubber Gloves Tubing (rubber, plastic, etc.) Thermos Bottles Turkey Basters
PRECURSORS Cold Tablets Diet Aids Energy Boosters Ephedrine (over-the-counter) “Mini-Thin” Tablets Phenyl-2-Propanone Phenylacetone Phenylpropanolamine Pseudoephedrine HCL Tablets OTHER ITEMS FOUND Books/Boxes of Matches with the Striker Plates Removed Paper Boxes and Packaging from Cold Tablets Left-over Chemicals and Discarded Chemical Bottles/Cans “Burn Piles” – Piles of Burned Trash Containing the Above Items \Scorched Aluminum Foil Pipes/Syringes	SOLVENTS Acetone Alcohol (denatured ethanol) Benzene Camp Stove Fuel/Coleman Fuel Chloroform Ether (engine starter) Freon “HEET” (Methanol) Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing) Methanol (wood alcohol) Starting Fluid (Ether) Toluene/Paint Thinner White Gasoline