Methamphetamine

Missouri State Highway Patrol — Public Information and Education Division

What Is Meth?

Methamphetamine, known on the street as meth, crank, speed, ice, or crystal, is one of the nation's most dangerous and lethal illicit drugs. It can be smoked, snorted, swallowed, or injected; is almost instantly addicting, and its use can result in violence, paranoia, and death.

The high from methamphetamine is more intense and lasts much longer than most illicit drugs, but the fall afterward is also much harder and deeper, resulting in an instant craving for more meth.

One of the attractions for methamphetamine pushers is that meth is a lucrative business. It can be made with a skillet and stove, in a motel bathroom, in a car's trunk, or simply with a soda bottle. The ingredients are obtained easily from your local pharmacy and hardware store.

It's a highly volatile mix. Many meth cooks have severely burned themselves, or even died, from explosions and caustic fumes. These laboratories are treated as hazardous waste sites.

Signs of Methamphetamine Use

Signs of methamphetamine addiction vary, but one might notice sudden bursts of energy followed by paranoia, deep sleepiness, anxiety, and exhaustion; rapid weight loss; pale skin; poor personal hygiene; and possibly track marks.

Signs of a possible clandestine laboratory include a strong smell of ammonia or ether, an unusually large amount of traffic at a location, and extraordinary means of ventilation.

The Meth List

Presence of the following items could indicate the existence of a meth lab: Alcohol, Ether, Benzene, Toluene/Paint Thinner, Freon, Acetone, Chloroform, Camp Stove Fuel, Starting Fluid, Anhydrous Ammonia, Iodine Crystals, Red Phosphorous, Lye, Drano, Muriatic/Hydrochloric Acid, Battery Acid, Lithium Batteries, Sodium Metal, Match Books, Propane Cylinders, Hot Plates, Cold medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, Hydrogen Peroxide, Aluminum Foil, Cold Packs, and nitrogen fertilizers.

Report Suspicious Activity

If you have reason to believe there is a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in your area, do not investigate! These laboratories are very hazardous. Contact local police authorities or the Missouri State Highway Patrol to report your concerns.

Patrol members regularly present programs on illegal drugs and how to combat their use. If your group would like such a program, please contact the public information and education officer at the Missouri State Highway Patrol troop headquarters in your area.

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