Ever wonder why so many people find crystal meth so addictive? After reading
about the list of ingredients used to make meth, you may find the phenomenon
even more puzzling:
Sodium hydroxide - aka, Lye
Classified as a corrosive, sodium hydroxide is one of the main chemicals in
drain cleaner and is also used in aluminum etching and to create biodiesel. It’s
also used by ranchers, serial killers, and city workers who must dispose
of road kill to dissolve dead bodies. Carcasses are placed in a sealed
chamber with sodium hydroxide and water, turning the body into a coffee-like
liquid.
Anhydrous Ammonia
This substance, used in chemical fertilizer and as a commercial refrigerant,
has extremely destructive effects on humans. Breathing the vapor can
cause severe irritation and permanent damage to the lungs, throat, and eyes.
Because Anhydrous (meaning “without water”) Ammonia seeks out water and
causes severe burns, any body part that comes into contact with it should be
flushed with water for at least 15 minutes to remove the ammonia from the skin.
One man even had his buttocks eaten away by improperly handling this stuff.
Iodine
Iodine is a natural element and helpful to the body in small amounts. But
taken in large amounts, iodine can becomes toxic.
Extremely high does of iodine can limit the function of the thyroid.
It takes roughly 4 bottles of iodine tincture to produce 2-3 grams of meth.
Matches - Red Phosphorus
By combining red phosphorus and iodine, you can easily create the highly
controlled substance Hydriotic Acid which is an essential ingredient in
making meth. Creating 2-3 grams of meth requires about 4 big boxes of matches.
Here’s a better use of match sticks.
Ephedrine
The use of ephedrine in making methamphetamines is the main reason why many
sinus medications like Sudafed, with active ingredient of ephedrine, are
under lock and key at grocery stores and pharmacies now.
Ephedrine causes the brain to release dopamine, a chemical naturally produced
by the body that evokes feelings of elation on the same level as sex,
food, and other rewards necessary for species survival.
Ephedrine’s effect of releasing dopamine is thought to be the reason why
people become so addicted to meth. The problem is that by artificially creating
dopamine chemically, meth users eventually lose the ability to feel happiness at
all.
Ether
Once called “sweet vitriol” because of its hypnotic effect, this
highly flammable substance is used as an anesthetic agent - especially in
third world countries where more expensive anesthesia is not available. While
inhaling the compound, patients could undergo complete surgical procedures while
otherwise awake without feeling pain or concern.
Drano
The product label warning says it all:
DANGER: MAY BURN EYES AND SKIN ON CONTACT. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid
contact with body and clothing. TOXIC GAS MAY FORM IF MIXED WITH OTHER
CHEMICALS. If gases are released, leave immediately and ventilate area. FIRST
AID: Give Immediately: EYES AND SKIN: Flush with water for 20 minutes. Remove
affected clothing. IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth and drink a glass of water or milk.
Do not induce vomiting. THEN SEEK MEDICAL AID.
Brake Fluid
When working with brake fluid, be careful not to spill it on your car as it
will eat away the paint and chrome. You’ve also got to be careful using
brake fluid around other household chemicals because its high concentration of
polyethylene glycol can cause it to ignite in a violent fireball. But
meth users don’t mind putting it into their body for the tradeoff of a high.
Lighter Fluid - Butane
Starting to see why meth labs blow up so frequently? This highly flammable
liquefied gas is used in the cooking process. When inhaled directly, butane
can cause drowsiness, narcosis, asphyxia; cardiac arrhythmia and frostbite,
which can result in instant death from Asphyxiation, Acute toxicity and
ventricular fibrillation. When it’s ingested, lighter fluid causes
gastrointestinal problems, lethargy, diarrhea, and in high enough doses, death.
Hydrochloric acid
This highly corrosive liquid is used to remove rust and iron-oxide
from steel, leather processing, household cleaning and to produce organic
compounds such as PVC pipe and polyurethane. It also makes up the majority of
the gastric acid in human digestive fluid. In high concentrations, hydrochloric
acid will literally eat away human flesh.
