Some of these chemicals can make the operations more dangerous than others to the operators and the emergency responders. Illegal drugs can be made with “preferred” or “alternate” chemicals. Use of the chemicals can often result in contamination of the area used for the drug lab, which becomes a secondary contamination hazard for response personnel. The chemicals used are themselves dangerous, and they can produce hazardous byproducts and cause fires and explosions. Response personnel should become familiar with the detection clues and hazards of the hazardous materials involved in drug lab operations. Other public officials or civilians may also discover clandestine drug labs. However, the very nature and dangers of clandestine drug labs may cause emergency responders to encounter them by accident or when something goes wrong with the chemicals involved. In fact, the more remote the area, drug makers think, the less likely they will be detected by law enforcement. This is a problem that concerns rural America as well as urban areas. Illegal drug labs have been discovered in homes, apartments, hotel and motel rooms, barns, restaurants, fields, vacant and abandoned buildings, storage facilities and even mobile labs. Methamphetamines are by far the most common illegal drugs manufactured in clandestine labs and will be the primary focus of this column. Responders should be familiar with the detection clues and hazards of materials involved in drug lab operations. These illegal labs contain the chemicals and equipment required to manufacture controlled substances such as methamphetamines (speed, crack, ice, glass and crystal), phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), LSD, PCP (angel dust), MDA/MDPP (Ecstasy), metha-qualude, methcathinone (cat), fentanyl and others.Ĭlandestine drug operations may become “mini” hazardous waste sites and require proper disposal following the investigation. Clandestine drug laboratories continue to present a significant law enforcement and emergency response problem across the United States.
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