The basics of meth
What is meth?
Meth, or methamphetamine, is known by many names — speed, crystal meth, crank, ice. It's an illegal drug whose popularity in Kansas has skyrocketed over the past five years.
What does meth look like?
In its final stage, meth looks like a small white cake or bar. One gram yields 10 to 25 hits.
Another form of meth, called "ice," is clear like crystal. It takes longer to make, is more expensive, and yields 60 to 100 hits per gram. It is the purest form of meth.
How does meth affect the body?
Meth stimulates the body's central nervous system, giving the user a high or rush. That high lasts between six and 12 hours — much longer than cocaine. Plus it's cheaper to make and buy.
Some symptoms of meth use include sleeplessness, loss of appetite, elevated body temperature, paranoia, irritability, and increased blood pressure.
How do users "do" meth?
To get the meth into his system, a user will crush it into a power and usually smoke or snort it. Meth can also be eaten or injected. But in Marion County, most users smoke meth.
A common technique is the "canoe": a piece of foil is formed into a small canoe or leaf shape. The meth is placed in the canoe and heated from beneath with a match or lighter. Users inhale the smoke that rises from the drug, many times sucking it through the barrel of a pen.
What is meth made from?
The basic ingredient of meth is ephedrine. Ephedrine is found in many cold medications, weight-loss drugs, and asthma medications — to name a few. The meth manufacturer wants to get ephedrine down to its purest form.
Most manufacturers start with cold pills or diet pills. They "cook" these pills (not with literal heat) with anhydrous ammonia to get down to the bare ephedrine. Most cooks start with about 1,000 tablets, and that will eventually yield around 10 grams of meth.
Since cold and diet pills can be bought anywhere, the ephedrine is easy to get. But store workers get suspicious when customers buy the pills in huge quantities — that's a tip-off to law enforcement officials.
Where is meth made?
Meth can be made anywhere. Typically it's in houses, but some manufacturers even make it in moving cars.
In most cases, meth is made at a house in a rural area. That's because many of the fumes give off strange smells, tipping off neighbors. Manufacturers take great pains to seal up their home to prevent this — duct-taping windows, sealing up cracks with foam.
Why do individuals make meth?
Most manufacturers don't make meth strictly for selling. They'll use most of what they make, just selling enough to make another batch.
How prevalent is meth in Kansas?
Meth production is skyrocketing in Kansas. In 2002, there were 474 meth lab seizures in the state. Cowley County had the highest number, with 45.
According to Sheriff's Deputy Jeff Soyez, there were 19 meth labs seized in Marion County in 2002.
Hillsboro hasn't had a meth lab bust since 1997.
What are some signs that a meth lab is nearby?
Some signs of a potential meth lab include: strong smells such as ammonia, ether, or cat urine; blacked out windows; lots of foot traffic at night; residents smoking outside due to fumes; and excessive trash including lantern fuel cans, clear containers, red chemically stained coffee filters, or antifreeze containers.
