Curious What's in a Meth Lab?

In light of the news of a in a room at the Peabody , are you wondering what exactly goes into a makeshift lab and why they can be so dangerous, or why the drug itself is so dangerous? Read on.

Crystal methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that can be made relatively cheaply in a makeshift home lab -- whether that's in a hotel room or a basement.

The drug is a synthetic stimulant that affects the central nervous system and can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed.

Medical research shows it often leads to aggressive behavior, paranoia, cognitive impairment, memory loss, depression, hallucinations and more. It also takes a physical toll as well, causing involuntary muscle contractions, twitching, loss of muscle tissue and bone density; extended use causes an irregular heart beat that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. 

The hallucinogenic affects of the drug can make users see, feel or hear things that aren't there, such as bugs crawling under their skin, which in turn ends in open sores.

Studies show meth causes more brain damage than alcohol, heroin or cocaine.

"One of the reasons meth is such a threat in rural America is because it is cheap and easy to make... Small labs to cook the drug can be set up on tables in kitchens, countertops, garages or just about anywhere. Although superlabs, operated by sophisticated traffickers still supply the majority of meth, these smaller tabletop labs have increased exponentially in the last decade, setting an alarming trend," according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Most of the chemicals used in crystal meth, although toxic and highly flammable, can be purchased over the counter or easily extracted from certain products, such as fertilizers, cleaners or vehicle fluids. The key ingredients include acetone, lithium, toluene, hydrohloric acid, pseudophedrine, red phosphorus, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid and anhydrous ammonia.

For example, toluene is found in brake fluid, but is powerful enough to dissolve rubber, while pseudophedrine is a decongestant commonly found in cold medicine, but can harm the respiratory and nervous systems and heart if taken in large amounts. Anhydrous ammonia is commonly found in fertilizers and kitchen cleaners, but when mixed with other chemicals can release highly toxic gases.

Drug authorities also say the vapors from the chemicals can permeate the walls and carpeting of makeshift labs, rendering them uninhabitable. The toxic chemicals used to make the drug are also often simply dumped into sewer systems, rivers or fields by the pseudo lab technicians.

[Sources: The Meth Project and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.]