Now that spring is finally here, Sheriff Donnellon is again reminding everyone who is out walking and picking up discarded plastic bottles to be careful. That bottle you are picking up may contain methamphetamine residue and could be dangerous. Methamphetamine is an incredibly dangerous drug. It is certainly dangerous to ingest. It is dangerous when it is being made, with the risk of explosion and fire. It is also dangerous when the waste product is discarded.
Meth is made using the drug pseudoephedrine and common household chemicals, such as lye and Coleman gas. The chemicals are mixed in a two liter pop bottle. Once the chemicals begin reacting, there is danger of an explosion and fire. The danger doesn’t end there. Once the user gets the drug out of the bottle, it is discarded. Sometimes the bottles are thrown in ditches or yards. If a person picks up a bottle containing meth waste, the chemicals inside can re-activate, causing an explosion and fire. Also found at meth dump sites may be gas generators. These are containers with holes in the top with hoses coming out, which may be dangerous as well.
If you see a two liter pop bottle with a milky substance in the bottom, don’t touch it. Immediately
leave the area and contact the Sheriff’s Office or your local police agency. We have deputies specially trained to dispose of these dangerous chemicals. We have had no reports of meth lab waste so far this year, but want everyone to stay alert, so we don’t have any injuries.
