What is it about making methamphetamines that is so toxic?

Question

Just curious..I was reading and article on court tv today about a guy caught cooking meth and they had to have a hazmat team clean up what he was making..I've heard this before that it's really bad and that some houses have to be destroyed. Is it just the chemicals they use? What are the ones that they use that are so toxic?

Answer 1

If they are manufactured correctly and to pharmaceutical standards (such as some ADD and ADHD medicines which are essentially legal methamphetamine) then both the process of manufacture and the drug itself is not toxic.

The problem is the pre-cursor chemicals required to make 'speed' are difficult to obtain due to government restrictions. Naturally the illegal chemists will substitute the missing components with whatever will work and some of those substitutes are nasty.

There is also a risk of explosion when 'cooking' up the drug. Once again, this has more to do with dodgy quality control and the use of improvised equipment than the actual process of manufacture - although dealing with chemicals is a complex and skilled profession many backyard chemists just whip up some concoction from an internet recipie.

You have risk of additional toxic additive getting into the final product as the pure crystal is often 'cut' with other material to maximise the profit.

Methamphetamine when taken correctly and at pharmaceutical grades isn't actually bad for you and can really help some people cope with their disorders, although it can be addictive over time, especially if abused by injecting or inhaling it.

Ironically the very 'war on drugs' policy that is meant to save people does more to poison them and ruin their lives than a decent rehab and education programme ever would. The war on drugs is not winnable and is a total waste of money, although it does keep a lot of 'experts', politicians and legal types in the cash.

Have a look the whole history and prohibition (of alcohol) in the US early last century and you can see exactly the same social and economic impact. crazy but true.

Answer 2

People who use methamphetamine may be at increased risk for neck artery tears and stroke, a study in the Dec. 26 issue of Neurology reports.

"It appears methamphetamine use is toxic to large blood vessels," senior study author Dr. Wengui Yu, of the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.

"While methamphetamine use has been associated with aortic dissection, a tear in the wall of the aorta, the largest artery of the body, this is the first time there's been a possible link between methamphetamine use and carotid artery dissection, a tear in the neck artery," Yu said.

This study looked at the cases of two women, aged 36 and 29, who experienced sudden speech difficulty and weakness after using methamphetamine. Brain scans showed that the women had suffered severe strokes due to a neck artery tear. Other than methamphetamine use, the two women did not have any other major risk factors for stroke. Both women recovered but have mild to moderate disabilities.

"Since cocaine has similar effects and has also been linked to aortic and carotid artery dissection, it's therefore likely that the tears in the arteries may be due to a drug class effect rather than a specific drug, like methamphetamine," Yu said.

Answer 3

all the chemicals used are toxic. are lethal. i am an ex-user. they make it with benzene, acetone. whatever is at hand. they can contaminate the ground under the house, the fumes are absorbed in the wood of the home ( hence why some houses are destroyed after a bust) the waste products can explode at anytime. it is very dangerous. do not ever go near a meth lab .. do not ever use it. call the cops if you know of one. :-|

Answer 4

Various chemicals are used in home labs and it's not always the same "recipe". When one ingredient is unavailable, another is substituted. It can involves acids, bases, metals, solvents and salts. Depending on the specific ingredients used, phosphine gas may be formed during the cooking process and this gas is toxic. The gases released and the waste left behind are toxic and flammable.

Answer 5

making the drug is very dangerous.. the chemicals mixed the ether... the ether can explode... most of the makers are also users... being up for days.. they get careless... meth is becoming a problem across the country...

Answer 6

yes it produces methane, which is poisonous waste. no wonder it stinks! peeyew!

Answer 7

They make it with DRAINO!