I really want to know

[astral]

what a meth lab smells like. Does it smell like insect repellant?

[likesmountains 52]

1. I don't know, but it's odd that you asked. I keep smelling a weird insecticide-like smell at my

house today. Neighbors up to something?

[Shell Beau]

2. I would think it smelled like a bunch of chemicals.

Not sure really. My brother would know. He actually busted one once.

I'd actually be too scared to get really close. They tend to blow up from time to time.

[Madrone]

3. I tried to get a tweeker to explain it to me once.

She couldn't. Just "chemical-y" - whatever that's supposed to mean. If you ever smell it and know what it is you'll always know when you smell it from that point forward.

[mzteris]

4. hope this helps.

"What does a meth lab smell like?

Smells like a hospital due to the common use of ethyl ether as an anesthetic. Nasal irritant. Ether-like: Aromatic, sweet odor often
accompanied by a sweet taste.

Smells like paint thinners, paint removers, adhesives, and cleaning fluids. Type of odor often found in auto body shops or furniture refinishing shops. Eye and nasal irritant.

Smells like odor found in vinegar, mayonnaise, salad dressings or pickled food. Pungent, acrid, or sour smell. Eye irritant.

Smells like wet diapers, glass cleaners, cattle feed-lots, or fertilizers. A sharp, irritating odor. Eye and nasal irritant."


******

Learn the signs of a potential Meth lab to protect your family and your property from catastrophic damage:

r A strong smell that might resemble urine, or an unusual chemical smell like ether, ammonia or acetone.
r Little or no traffic during the day, but lots of traffic at extremely late hours.
r Extra efforts made to cover windows or reinforce doors.
r Residents never putting their trash out.
r Lab materials surrounding the property (lantern fuel cans, red chemically stained coffee filters, clear glass jugs and duct tape).
r Vehicles loaded with trunks, chemical containers, or basic chemistry paraphernalia - glassware, rubber tubing, etc.
r Laboratory glassware being carried into the residence.
r Inhabitants smoking outside due to fumes.

If you see evidence that makes you suspect a Meth lab, call law enforcement immediately and explain your concerns. Do not attempt to gather evidence on your own, and never handle any materials that may be associated with a lab.

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Page 1
What are signs of a meth lab?

A typical meth lab is a collection of chemical bottles, hoses, and pressurized cylinders. The cylinders can take many forms, from modified propane tanks to fire extinguishers, scuba tanks and soda dispensers. The tanks contain anhydrous ammonia or hydrochloric acid — both highly poisonous and corrosive. 405 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1601 | New York, NY 10174 | Tel. [phone] | drugfree.org/meth

Labs are frequently abandoned, and the potentially explosive and very toxic chemicals are left behind. Chemicals may also be burned or dumped in woods or along roads. The most common chemicals used to start the meth-making process are over-the-counter cold and asthma medications which contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as decongestants or stimulants. Here are signs of a meth lab:

• Unusual strong chemical odors such as ether, ammonia (smell similar to cat urine) and acetone (smells similar to fingernail polish)

• Excess amounts of cold medicines containing Ephedrine or pseudoephedrine

• Empty pill bottles or blister packs

• Propane/Freon tanks with blue corrosion on fittings or spray-painted or burned, with bent or tampered valves

• Starting fluid cans opened from the bottom

• Heating sources such as hotplates/torches

• Excess coffee filters

• Excess baggies

• Excess matches

• Excess lithium batteries

• Cookware (Corning type) with white residue

• Glassware, mason jars or other glass containers

• Plastic tubing

• Funnels

• Hoses leading outside for ventilation

• Soft drink bottles with hoses running from them

• Drain cleaner, paint thinner, toluene, denatured alcohol, ammonia, acid, starter fluid, antifreeze, hydrogen peroxide, rock salt/iodine

What does a meth lab smell like?

Strong chemical odors such as ether, ammonia (smells like cat urine) and acetone (smells like nail polish)
• Lantern or camp stove fuel
• Iodine- or chemical-stained bathrooms or kitchen fixtures
• Evidence of chemical waste or dumping
• Excessive amounts of trash, particularly chemical containers, coffee filters with red stains, duct tape rolls. Empty cans of or paint thinner or pieces of red-stained cloth around the property
• Secretive or unfriendly occupants
• Extensive security measures or attempts to ensure privacy such as “No Trespassing” or “Beware of Dog” signs, fences, and large trees or shrubs
• Curtains always drawn or windows blackened or covered with aluminum foil on residences, garages, sheds, or other structures
• Increased activity, especially at night
• Frequent visitors, particularly at unusual times
• Renters who pay their landlords in cash