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.
  

What is a CLANDESTINE LABORATORY?

A clandestine laboratory is a laboratory used for the primary purpose of illicitly (illegally) manufacturing controlled substances, such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Clandestine labs are typically small, utilizing common household appliances, glassware, and readily available chemicals. While some clandestine laboratories may be located in industrial areas, they are most frequently located in residential areas.

Most clandestine methamphetamine labs are located in remote areas where
chemical fumes will not alert neighbors or law enforcement.
 

Small-scale methamphetamine laboratories are being operated increasingly in single and multifamily residences in urban and suburban neighborhoods, where they pose a significant threat to public health and safety. Traditionally, laboratories are located in sparsely populated or isolated rural areas in order to avoid detection. A substantial number of laboratories, however, are located in urban areas.

If you suspect a meth lab in your neighborhood, do not go into the lab. Many times, people booby trap them to destroy the lab or cover their involvement. Only trained personnel should go into meth labs.

Call the NW Drug Task Force to report suspected lab activity: 758.5674

Meth in Your Forest

Illegal use of the forest is not just a summer hazard. The ice on the road shows that you can expect to encounter trouble any time the meth cookers can get into the forest.

The Flathead National Forest Law Enforcement and Investigations Office has witnessed many meth labs and signs of meth in our local forests. One clue they common to many meth sites found in the forest is a "sweet chemical smell". If you smell this, leave the area at once. They have provided slides and information to educate others on other signs of meth manufacturing in your forest:

Signs of Meth in Your Forest Slideshow
Clues of meth activity in your forest

If you suspect meth activity in your forest, contact Flathead National Forest at 758.5204,
or the Flathead County Sheriff's Office at 758.5610

Methamphetamine: A Dangerous Drug, A Spreading Threat

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that can be manufactured by using products commercially available anywhere in the United States. The chemicals used in producing methamphetamine are extremely volatile, and the amateur chemists running makeshift laboratories -- often in hotels or areas where children are present -- cause deadly explosions and fires. The by-products of methamphetamine production are extremely toxic. Methamphetamine traffickers display no concern about environmental hazards when it comes to manufacturing and disposing of methamphetamine and its by-products.

Source: SAMHSA, OAS, TEDS (Jan 1998)

The number of methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1997 increased dramatically, to 1,431 from 879 in 1996. This reflects the widespread proliferation in the manufacture, trafficking, and use of the drug across the West and Midwest and portions of the South. During 1997 methamphetamine prices nationwide ranged from $3,500 to $30,000 per pound, $400 to $2,800 per ounce, and 37 dollars to $200 per gram.

Source: SAMHSA, OAS, TEDS (Jan 1998)