Clandestine Drug Laboratories and the Fire Service

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Clandestine labs pose a great risk, to the individuals producing these toxic concoctions

they don’t realize how dangerous and volatile these chemical are. These chemicals cause three

main types of harm. (1) physical injury from explosions, fires, chemical burns, and toxic fumes.

(2) environmental hazards and (3) endangerment of the surrounding area/child endangerment. ()

The most popular drug produced by clandestine laboratories is methamphetamines.

Methampheramines are made from cold medicines, herbal pills and nutritional supplements.

This done by boiling pills in hydroiodic acid and red phosphorus, red phosphorus comes from

match pads. Iodine is also used and is obtained from pet stores. These products are combined

and brought to a boiling temperature then filtered out the final product is converted to

methamphetamine. Once the production cycle is complete the byproduct is disposed of in a

in proper manner resulting in a chemical and thermal burn hazard for law enforcement, clean up

personnel, and future residents. There are three main cooking methods in the production of

methamphetamines. (1) The phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) method, the red phosphorous (red P)

method, and the Nazi dope (lithium or sodium reduction). The P2P method is less common

today because of strict regulations of phenyl acetic acid. Most of the methamphetamine makers

use the other two methods in which pseudoepedrine and ephedrine is the main precursor

chemical. These two are found in cold medicines and match heads.

Ecstasy is a stimulant and a mild hallucinogen. Ecstasy produces rapid heart beat, high

blood pressure, faintness, muscle cramping, panic attacks, seizures, naus...

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United States Department of Justice. Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). Washington, DC: Drug Enforcement Administration, March 2000.

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