9781422270561

Tour a large meth lab in the Philippines.

stimulant made from the plant. In 1919, Akira Ogata, another Japanese chemist, used phosphorus and iodine to create a crystalline substance—the first “crystal meth.” The underlying chemical used to produce meth is ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, which is found in cold medications. Several different chemicals are used to “cook” the ephedrine, which changes it into the stronger chemical, methamphetamine. In addition to ephedrine, meth can be made exclusively using industrial chemicals in the P2P (i.e., peer-to-peer) process. A wide range of household chemicals can be used to make meth in the P2P process. According to the US Department of Justice, ether, acetone, ammonia, iodine crystals, drain cleaner, battery acid, and lithium from batteries can be used in the manufacturing process for methamphetamine.

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The Young Adult Drug Library: Methamphetamine