Methamphetamine

There's an epidemic sweeping Ontario which represents health, safety and liability risks to Realtors, appraisers and anyone else entering homes contaminated with chemicals used to grow or manufacture illegal drugs.

Desktop meth lab

Pesticides and fertilizers notwithstanding, some of the primary risks associated with marijuana grow houses have been mould and wood-destroying organisms resulting from the greenhouse conditions existing in these homes. The grow house has been viewed primarily as a business or legal risk for the real estate community.

However, as the illegal production of crystal methamphetamine (meth) grows in Ontario, more of the real estate community could be placing their lives at risk trying to assess or inspect homes containing potentially explosive drug labs. According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) even the leftovers of a household meth lab may represent a huge danger, given the variety of chemicals which could explode at any moment.

Anyone unfamiliar with a crystal meth lab could be putting their life at risk if they don't know what they're walking into.

Methamphetamine is made mostly from common household ingredients. When these ingredients are mixed and cooked together, they make a dangerous drug and potentially harmful chemical residues can remain on household surfaces for months or years after cooking has been completed. There may be serious health effects associated with these chemical exposures before, during and after the drug-making process.

Crystal meth, a highly addictive and potentially lethal drug, is a relatively new problem for the OPP. More prevalent in western Canada, crystal meth has been familiar to police in Ontario for only about four years, and the chemical processes are quite different from whats present at a more common marijuana grow-op.

Five years ago, meth labs were unknown in Ontario. Now they are a common occurance, especially in Perth County and other parts of south-western Ontario. It seems to be moving east, and its a growing trend.

Crystal meth is made by cooking pseudo ephedrine with a variety of chemicals which are readily found at hardware stores, such as red phosphorous, iodine, ammonia, paint thinner and lithium from batteries.

There have been no known incidents of injuries caused in Ontario by exposure to crystal meth labs, but police officers south of the border have suffered serious injuries dealing with substances such as propane, starter fluid and drain cleaner which are used in the drug manufacturing process.

Weapons are very common in meth labs. People who use meth are very paranoid about everything. They are worried that they will be caught by the police and will use any means to not get caught.

As production expands to other parts of the province, anyone unfamiliar with a crystal meth lab could be putting their life at risk if they dont know what theyre walking into.

Identifying a meth lab - what to look out for.

Heres a checklist of common signs of meth manufacturing inside and outside a house:

* Strong smell of urine, or unusual chemical odours like ether, ammonia or acetone.

* Windows blacked-out, traffic at odd hours, people going outside to smoke.

* Signs of chemical burns and spills - dark red phosphorous stains in the sinks, toilets or bathtubs, or red staining on the interior walls, countertops and flooring.

* Visible areas in the yard where chemicals have been dumped, or burn pits with chemical container remains, dead or dying vegetation.

* Packaging or containers from large quantities of cold medicines.

* Jars containing clear liquid with a white or red-coloured solid on the bottom, jars with shiny metallic purple crystals inside, bottles or jars with rubber tubing attached.

* Glass cookware or frying pans containing a powdery residue.

* Coffee filters unused and used with red stains, white paste or small amounts of shiny white crystals in them.

* Soft silver or gray metallic ribbon (in chunk form) stored in oil or Kerosene.

* Propane tanks with fittings that have turned blue or green.

* Excessive trash with large amounts of the following: alcohol, benzene, toluene/paint thinner, Freon, acetone, chloroform, camp stove fuel, starter fluid, anti-freeze, anhydrous ammonia, Heet, white gasoline, phenyl-2-propane, phenyl acetone, phenyl propanolamine, iodine crystals, red phosphorous, black iodine, lye, Drano, muriatic or hydrochloric acid, battery acid or sulphuric acid, Epsom salts, batteries/lithium, sodium metal, wooden matches, propane cylinders, hot plates, ephedrine, pseudo-ephedrine, cold tablets, bronchodilators, energy boosters, rock salt, diet aids

Police advise against entering a house exhibiting any of these signs because it could be a crime scene, and even more importantly, it could be hazardous to your health and safety. They recommend reporting any suspected meth labs to the local city or provincial police detachment.

If you suspect a meth lab, leave at once and report it.

* Do not open any coolers.

* Do not touch any items.

* Handling methamphetamine waste residue can burn your skin and eyes, and breathing in the gases can send you to the hospital.

* Handling these chemicals with unprotected skin, or getting the dust in your eyes can cause serious damage.

To avoid the possibility of fire, explosion, death or serious illness, only trained and properly equipped workers can dismantle a lab and take the remnants away for disposal, usually in sealed 55-gallon drums.

Every pound of methamphetamine produced creates anywhere from 5 to 7 pounds of waste. Waste products include solvents and corrosives. Cleanups of labs are extremely resource-intensive and beyond the financial capabilities of most jurisdictions. The average cost of a cleanup is about $5,000 - but some cost up to $100,000 or more.

If you require immediate assistance please dial 9-1-1 or *OPP on your cell phone.

To report a crime or occurrence in your area, do one of the following:

* Call the OPP 24 hour toll free telephone number 1-888-310-1122.

* To communicate via a telephone device for the deaf (TDD/TTY), the number is 1-888-310-1133.

* Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-Tips (8477).