Previously available only on the black market for thousands of dollars, the recipe for meth is now accessible free of charge on the Internet. Using common cold medicines such as pseudoephedrine and ephedrine combined with other substances, meth can be made by anyone, almost anywhere. Meth labs have been set up in bedrooms, back yards, trailers, bathtubs, storage units and vans. Adults 18 to 25 years of age currently have the highest percentage of cocaine use than any other age group. Cocaine hydrochloride, the form in which cocaine is snorted or injected is often "cut," or mixed, with things that look like it. The final product can be from 1% to 95% pure. Common additives are sugars, such as mannitol, lactose, or glucose, or even sugar substitutes, and local anesthetics such as tetracaine, procaine, and lidocaine. Quinine, talc, and cornstarch have also been used. Some consumers may unknowingly purchase a supply without any cocaine, but just a cocaine substitute such as caffeine, amphetamine, PCP, procaine, and lidocaine. Injecting Meth is a popular method for use, also known as slamming, but carries quite serious risks. The hydrochloride salt of methamphetamine is soluble in water; injection users may use any dose from 125 milligrams to over one gram using a hypodermic needle (Although it should be noted that typically street methamphetamine is "cut" with a water-soluble cutting material which constitutes a significant portion of that street meth dose). |
