Meth Lab Clean Up
Methamphetamine (Meth) is an illegal drug that is easily produced in a clandestine lab with relatively inexpensive, over-the-counter ingredients. Meth production has become more prevalent in Oregon as producers moved up from California. This is made worse as methods of production have become easier and more portable. Oregon has fought back with tough regulations, limiting access to over-the-counter drugs that contain ephedrine, one of the main ingredients for meth.
 Meth is a powerful central nervous system stimulant, similar to cocaine. It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water or alcohol. Meth is derived from amphetamine, which was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. Common names for methamphetamine include: "meth, speed, crank, chalk, go-fast, zip, crispy, "L.A.", ice, crystal, 64 glass, or quartz.
 Meth has considerable potential for adverse effects on the drug user. Toxic properties of the drug include agitation, psychosis, seizures, respiratory arrest, and death. It contains numerous contaminants, by-products and impurities, which do not have predictable effects on the drug user. Meth causes injury to the liver, kidneys, brain, nerves, and respiratory system.
Signs of Meth Use
 Meth users are easy to spot. They are alert and hyperactive, and they are incessant talkers. They have a false sense of confidence. They will often experience a loss of appetite and become extremely irritable and moody. Prolonged meth abuse can resemble symptoms of schizophrenia characterized by hallucinations, paranoia, and repetitive behavior patterns. Abusers develop delusions of insects under the skin known as "speed bugs" or "meth bugs," which cause the user to pick at the skin incessantly, resulting in open lesions.
The effects of methamphetamine can last six to eight hours. As the effects wear off, users may experience drug cravings, depressed moods, lethargy, and prolonged periods of sleep lasting 24 hours or more.
Meth Production
 Internet "cooking" instructions for meth is written in a simple language that any middle school child can follow. The process, in fact, involves nothing more complicated than mixing and siphoning the ingredients and allowing them to evaporate in a pan atop the home hot water heater. Start to finish, meth can be created in three hours.
There are literally thousands of recipes and information about making methamphetamine on the Internet. An investment of a few hundred dollars in over-the-counter medications and chemicals can produce thousands of dollars worth of meth.
 Signs of Meth Lab Operations
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Excessive amounts of empty cold tablet packages
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Glass jars or coffee filters with brown or red residue
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Strange odors
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Guns and other "out of place" items
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