Part A - Society for Public Health Education

The widespread availability of methamphetamine today is largely fueled by illicitproduction in large and small clandestine laboratories throughout the United Statesand illegal production and importation from Mexico.How and Where Is Methamphetamine Made?Methamphetamine is made, or “cooked,” in domestic and foreign clandestine superlabs and small labs. Clandestine super labs are larger labs that are permanently setup and can produce up to 100 lb of methamphetamine per cook. Clandestine smalllabs are portable labs and produce small quantities of methamphetamine. Theselabs are commonly referred to as mom-and-pop labs or “Beavis and Butthead” labs.Methamphetamine is made with readily available and inexpensive items and ingredients.There is nothing secret about the means of making methamphetamine.Methamphetamine “recipes” can be easily obtained through the Internet or by associatingwith other cooks. There are hundreds of chemical products and substancesthat are used interchangeably to produce methamphetamine, which adds to thechallenge of accurately assessing the risks of exposure and the most effective methodof response. The substitution of one chemical for another in the recipes may alsocause the cooking process to become more hazardous (resulting in fire or explosion)or may result in a final product that is tainted with unwanted or additional dangerousside effects.© 2007 Society for Public Health EducationEvery methamphetamine recipe starts with over-the-counter medications thatinclude pseudoephedrine or ephedrine in their contents. The pills are crushed andmixed with other chemicals in the cooking process. Various recipes include combinationsof volatile organic compounds (VOCs), acids, bases, metals, solvents andsalts. Making methamphetamine with these chemicals can result in explosions,chemical fires, and the release of toxic gases. Methamphetamine cooking also producessolid and liquid wastes that can contaminate a building and its contents, orthe groundwater or soil where they are dumped.Part A: An Educational Toolkit for Health Educators13