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You are here: Meth Information
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Meth Information
These chemicals are commonly associated with meth labs:
| Acetone |
Alcohol (isopropyl or rubbing) |
| Anhydrous ammonia and ammonium sulfate (fertilizer) |
Battery acid (sulfuric acid) |
| Bleach |
Coleman fuel |
| Drain cleaner (sulfuric acid or caustic soda) |
Drain openers such as Red Devil lye |
| Heet and Iso-Heet, gasoline additives (methanol/alcohol) |
Hydrogen peroxide |
| Iodine (both crystal and liquid) |
Lithium batteries |
| Matches (red phosphorous) |
Mineral Spirits |
| Muriatic acid |
Over the counter cold pills containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine |
| Salt (table or rock) |
Sodium and Lithium metal |
| Starting Fluid (organic ether) |
Toluene |
| Trichloroethane (gun cleaning solvent) |
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Equipment commonly associated with meth labs:
| Aluminum foil |
Bed sheets |
| Blenders |
Bottles; such as pop, water and milk bottles |
| Chemistry glassware |
Camp stoves |
| Cheesecloth |
Coffee filters |
| Cotton balls |
Duct tape |
| Electric portable hot plates, single and double |
Funnels |
| Garden spray jugs |
Gas cans |
| Jugs |
Paper towels |
| pH test strips |
Plastic tubing |
| Pressure cookers |
Propane tanks and thermos |
| Pyrex dishes |
Rags |
| Rubber and latex gloves |
Strainers |
| Swimming pool chemicals |
Thermometers |
| Turkey basting wands |
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Unusual behavior by residential tenants / building occupants may be indicators of a meth lab:
- Access denied to landlords, neighbors, and other visitors
- Chemical staining on walls and floors
- A multitude of expensive home items such as stereos with no visible means of support
- Cash purchases and payments
- Covering or blacking-out of windows
- Security measures such as cameras or baby monitors outside of buildings
- Guard dogs
- Unusual traffic patterns, such as excessive night traffic or large numbers of visitors with short stays
- Burn pits, stained soil or dead vegetation indicating dumped chemicals or waste from a meth lab
- Abnormal chemical odors not normally associated with apartments, houses or buildings. These odors may be similar to sweet, bitter, ammonia or solvent smells.
- Large amounts of household chemicals found in odd places such as:
- Bathrooms
- Kitchens
- Laundry rooms
- Motel rooms
Illegal dump sites and unauthorized dumpster use:
- Waste cans or dumpsters emitting strong chemical odors
Trash or waste in pits or illegal dumps containing items such as:
| Rags with red and/or yellow stains |
| Large number of pill blister packaging from over-the-counter cold, diet or allergy remedies |
| Empty containers from white gas, ether, starting fluids, lye or drain openers, paint thinner, acetone, or alcohol |
| Compressed gas cylinders, or camp stove (Coleman) fuel containers |
| Packaging from Epsom salts or rock salt |
| Propane tanks or coolers containing strong ammonia odors |
| Pyrex/glass/Corning containers, with dried chemical deposits remaining |
| Bottles or containers connected with rubber hosing and duct tape |
| Coolers, thermos bottles, or other cold storage containers |
| Respiratory masks and filters or dust masks |
| Funnels, hosing and clamps |
| Discarded rubber or latex gloves |
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IF YOU SUSPECT A METH LAB:
- Leave the site at once and report it
- Do not open any coolers, container or boxes
- Do not touch any items
- Don't shut off any electrical supplies
- Limit time inside scene
- Handling meth chemicals and/or meth lab waste residue can burn your skin and eyes. Breathing the gases can cause respiratory damage
- Try not to alert the suspects of your suspicions
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