Methylamphetamine Awareness

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METHYLAMPHETAMINE

AN AWARENESS GUIDE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ACTION TEAMS ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES

GENERAL SAFETY ADVICE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY FIRST RESPONDERS

Interventions (Drugs) SCDEA

JUNE 2007


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Content

Page

Introduction 3 What is Methylamphetamine? 3

History 3

Current UK Picture 3

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 3

Health and Safety Considerations 4

Dangers to Personnel 4

Danger to Property 4

Dangers to Environment 4

Keeping Safe Spot the Signs 5

Dangers from Users 7

What to Do 8

Slang / Street Names 8

Visual Appearance 8

Ingestion Methods 9

Effects 9

Dependence 10

Summary 10



Introduction

This document is intended to raise the general awareness of Local Authority staff, Alcohol and Drug Action teams, landlords and environmental agencies of the very real and potential dangers surrounding the illicit production and use of methylamphetamine.

What is Methylamphetamine?

Methylamphetamine is a member of the amphetamine group of drugs and acts as a powerful stimulant on the central nervous system releasing massive amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It is produced under licence as a medicinal product but is also said to be the most widely illicitly manufactured drug on a global basis.

History

The drug was first produced in Japan in 1919 by a chemist seeking an alternative to ephedrine (a drug extract of the ephedra plant that has amphetamine type qualities). As a pharmaceutical preparation, methylamphetamine was widely distributed throughout the Second World War to British, American and Japanese military personnel as a stimulant. During the 1950s it was used both as a dietary aid and to treat depression.

Australia, Canada and the USA have encountered the emergence of an illicit methylamphetamine market in the past ten years. The use of this drug has had a destructive effect on local communities in these areas.

Current UK Picture

Indicators would point to methylamphetamine being a potential emerging threat to the UK. The drug has a greater propensity for addiction than crack cocaine.

Methylamphetamine is a drug that needs little knowledge of chemicals to manufacture domestically. So called Meth labs have been found in England where methylamphetamine has been manufactured in a domestic environment. Both the chemicals and processes involved in the production of this drug are very dangerous. While this phenomenon has yet to be seen in Scotland, there is no room for complacency.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

Methylamphetamine was reclassified from Class B to Class A drug under the terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in January 2007. The decision to re-classify the drug was based on international experience and has been taken on the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

NB. Methamphetamine is the American spelling of the drug which, in the UK, is defined under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as Methylamphetamine. It should be noted that the US spelling is frequently used in reference material in the UK.



Health and Safety Considerations

Although the risk of discovering a methylamphetamine laboratory in Scotland is low at present it is important to be aware of the health and safety implications of such a find. In order to protect yourself and others it is important to be alert to the dangers and signs of production and use.

The main health and safety considerations to be mindful of are:

Risk of fire and explosion Risk of respiratory damage/poisoning/fumes Risk of irritation or burning to skin Risk to the person from methylamphetamine users

Danger to Personnel

The people who are particularly at risk are those who enter the location of an illicit meth lab whilst carrying out their regular duties (ie housing officers, environmental officers).

Methylamphetamine is made from chemicals that are toxic, corrosive and highly flammable. When mixed, some of these chemicals are extremely volatile and may explode, while gases released during the production process are extremely poisonous.

An important consideration is that considerable health and safety implications will exist before, during and after a meth lab has been set up. (ie the meth lab produces seven times more toxic waste than it produces the drug itself).

Dangers to Property

Properties are at risk from fire and explosion; they are also at risk from chemical pollution. As the drug is cooked, the fumes spread throughout the building and leave chemical deposits on the walls, carpets, furnishings and other surfaces. Unless the property is decontaminated, it is not safe for people to live or work in.

Owners and managers of property need to be aware of the dangers. As with criminal use of rental properties for illegal production of cannabis, methylamphetamine production will damage buildings, reduce commercial value, and cost a lot of money to clean up.

Under Section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, an occupier or manager of property commits an offence if they knowingly permit, or suffer, the production or attempted production of Methylamphetamine within that property.

Dangers to the Environment

Methylamphetamine manufacture produces a great deal of waste; it is estimated that for every one part of the drug production, there will be seven parts waste. This waste is toxic, and producers of methylamphetamine in other countries have been known to



pour this waste down drains. In a worst case scenario, the water table could be contaminated.

Keeping Safe Spot the Signs

Illicit production facilities for synthetic drugs are sometimes called laboratories, but dont let this term mislead. The laboratory may resemble a messy kitchen more than a well-equipped production line.

There are a variety of production methods and processes used to produce methylamphetamine. The essential common steps are

Separation / extraction Synthesis Salting process Vacuum separation Drying process Granulating Packaging

The most common chemicals used in the illicit manufacture of methylamphetamine are ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, (compounds commonly found in over the counter medications, like cough medicine and energy supplements) phenylpropanolamine, red phosphorous, iodine, hydrochloric acid, ether, hydroiodic acid, and anhydrous ammonia. The chemicals used in the production of methylamphetamine can be divided into four groups:

1. Precursors: the raw materials that become part of the finished product such as ephedrine.

2. Reagents: chemicals that react with the precursor but do not become part of the finished product such as hydroiodic acid.

3. Solvents: chemicals that are used to dissolve, mix and separate methylamphetamine, used in all stages of production such as acetone.

4. Gases: using hydrogen gas is the preferred method for converting methylamphetamine oil (base form) into powder (salt form)

The signs to look for are:

A heating source, for example an oven hot plate or gas camping stove; A water supply; Metal gas canisters; An assortment of glassware, pyrex dishes, measuring equipment, matchboxes, rubber tubing, plastic buckets, and coffee filters (stained red-brown); Containers or package of ingredients, some familiar (drain cleaner, anti-freeze, brake fluid, engine starter, lithium batteries, cold cure medication), some not (ephedrine, iodine), and some unmarked; Chemical stains on walls, floors and work surfaces; Unpleasant smells, which may be of bleach/ammonia, cats urine, decaying fish, strong solvent, or burnt rubber; and



If the finished drug itself is present, white or yellow-coloured powder or rock-like chunks, or glass-like shards or ice-like crystal.

Picture 1 Methylamphetamine Laboratory

Picture 2 Methylamphetamine Laboratory



Some of the products used to make methylamphetamine are easily obtainable and commonly found within the home, however suspicion may be aroused when such products are found in unusual circumstance, large quantities or in combination with each other.

Common items that can be used to produce methylamphetamine include:

Battery Acid Cold Cure Medicine Drain Cleaner Acetone Rock Salt Lye Anti freeze Kitty Litter Lithium Batteries Toluene

Dangers from Users

The people who use methylamphetamine should also be regarded as a potential threat to anyone who comes into contact with them. The drug may make them agitated, argumentative, moody and aggressive, and the risk of violent behaviour is increased if the user has also consumed alcohol. Other signs of methylamphetamine use include rapid speech, irritability, hyperactivity, confusion, anxiety, repeated picking at skin or pulling at hair and, in some cases, aggression. Prolonged users may have rotten teeth, skin lesions and scars.

Picture 3- Meth Mouth



What to Do

If you come across what you believe is a methylamphetamine lab (or other suspicious site) then

STAY CALM

LEAVE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY

Do not touch anything,

Do not make any phone calls

Do not switch lights or electrical appliances on or off.

Once a safe distance from the premises

call 999, ask for the police.

If you suspect someone at the premises is under the influence of methylamphetamine, treat that person with extreme caution; avoid confrontation, minimise eye contact, keep your distance and remove yourself from the situation as soon as is feasible.

Slang / Street Names

Speed, Meth, Ice, Crystal, Chalk, Crank, Tweak, Uppers, Black Beauties, Glass, Bikers Coffee, Methlies Quick, Poor Mans Cocaine, Chicken Feed, Shabu, Crystal Meth, Stove Top, Snot, Trash, Tina, Go-Fast, Yaba, Paste, Wax, Point and Yellow Bam.

Visual Appearance

Methylamphetamine comes in several forms, including powder, crystal, rocks, and tablets.

In a powdered format, methylamphetamine will have a similar appearance to any of the illicit amphetamine encountered at street level. This can range from a fine or lumpy white, off-white or yellow powder.

It can also be found in tablet format (both as a licensed product and illicit). In its illicit tablet form, much the same as Ecstasy, it will appear in various shapes, sizes and colours and have various logo imprints.

In a crystal format, the drug has the appearance of small shards of ice or glass.

Methylamphetamine Awareness

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