Meth Help

What's meth made of? Have you ever wondered what the methamphetamine ingredients are that make the drug so addictive? Methamphetamine ingredients consist of a wide range of household items and other stimulants. Keep reading to learn more about meth and methamphtamine ingredients.

There are a variety of household items used when meth dealers and providers cook the meth to sell or distribute. Many of these meth ingredients are household items that no one would ever dream of consuming. However, many drug users may choose to ignore the dangerous methamphetamine ingredients to achieve the high they experience when under the influence of meth. Meth labs are notorious for being among the most dirty and unsanitary conditions. Many meth lab operators will set up their lab in the bathroom in the tub or toilet to cook the concoction into the drug many meth users choose to use and become addicted to, which is what has lead to the meth epidemic. Some of these methamphetamine ingredients include:

Sodium hydroxide: This is classified as a corrosive substance and is often used as one of the primary substances in drain cleaners. Many will also use sodium hydroxide to dispose of road kill or are used by serial killers to dispose of dead bodies. Essentially the substance can cause severe burns and skin ulcers.

Anhydrous Ammonia: This is a chemical often used as a chemical fertilizer and has extremely destructive effects on humans, which can cause severe damage to the eyes, lungs and throat. This particular type of ammonia also causes severe burns with any part of the body that comes into contact with it. If this occurs, that part of the body should be thoroughly flushed with water for at least 15 minutes. There have been cases of losing extremities like hands, arms and feet and even the buttocks in cases where the anhydrous ammonia was handled improperly.

Iodine: This is a natural element that is not harmful to the body in small doses. However, taken in large doses like with many hits of meth, it can be toxic. The toxic levels of iodine can cause birth defects and liver damage.

Red Phosphorus: This substance often comes from matches. This is an essential methamphetamine ingredient in the cooking of the drug. In order to cook this into the meth batch, it requires about four large boxes of matches for a single batch.

Ether: This methamphetamine ingredient is often called "sweet vitriol" because it produces a hypnotic effect, which is the reason why it is included in the cooking of meth. This substance is also highly flammable and used as an anesthetic agent.

Ephedrine: This drug is the primary ingredient in medications like Sudafed and other sinus medications. This is why many grocery stores implement a policy about how much you can purchase at a given time. Ephedrine works by causing the brain to release dopamine, which provides the body and mind with feelings of elation. This same level of elation can be achieved with other physical rewards like sex and food. The release of dopamine and the effect on the body is why many believe meth becomes so addictive. However, when the body creates enough artificial dopamine, the body stops producing it naturally and the body eventually loses the ability to feel happiness at all. 

Drano: Many may know this substance as a household tool used to clear blocked drains, however it is often used as a chemical methamphetamine ingredient. The substance is incredibly toxic and can burn the inside and outside of the body on the skin, so imagine the physical effects meth can have on your inner body. 

Brake fluid: This chemical can easily eat away paint and chrome on a car, however it is also used as a common methamphetamine ingredient.

Lighter Fluid - Butane: This meth ingredient is often used and is also found as the primary reason that meth labs are known to blow up so frequently since it is so flammable. When ingested, butane can cause gastrointestinal problems, lethargy, diarrhea and many times death.

Hydrochloric acid: This is just another one of the commonly used meth ingredients that is also a corrosive liquid. It makes up the majority of the gastric acid in the human digestive fluid. It can also literally eat away human flesh with direct contact or exposure to the substance. 

With so many highly dangerous and corrosive methamphetamine ingredients, it remains a mystery to many as to why many meth users ever become addicted in the first place. However, many of the dealers and meth lab cookers do not openly tell their customer what is in the methamphetamine ingredients. They hope to get the person addicted before they find out the risks they are taking with their body, skin and over all wellbeing. This is why it is so important for parents and teens to know what is in meth and to understand just how deadly it can be if used frequently or if the mixture is cooked incorrectly. Meth use can cause severe sores, intestinal diseases and in many cases it can result in death.  

Sources: lynnpolice.org, nationalmethcenter.org