Does anyone know what the signs/smells are of a meth house?

[Wella]

I live in a community with dense housing. There are lots of kids who smoke weed around, and that's nothing that concerns me. Sometimes I smell it, but it's no biggie.

The other night, however, I got a whiff of something that was like inhaling straight chlorine. I was working in my home office and had my windows open for the breeze. Around 10 pm there was something that smelled--at first--like a barbecue grill but under it was this corrosive chemical that burned my eyes, clogged my nose and caused an asthmatic reaction in my lungs. I shut the windows immediately, turned on the bathroom fan in the hall and got my inhaler. But the reaction lasted for about 12 hours.

The following day, I went to talk with my neighbors two doors down. They hadn't smelled anything but the guy said that we might have a meth house nearby. We do have a place in an apartment building across the alley that has loud parties late at night, sometimes during the week. The music goes on for hours and I usually shut the windows. This neighbor of mine said that a number of people in the neighborhood thought this was a meth place. They apparently have large fans in their windows all the time for the exhaust. Apparently, some of the neighbors have already been to the police, but they refuse to do anything until they see overt illegal activity.

I have never in my life run into one of these places and was wondering if any of you have seen or heard about these. The caustic chemical smell I experienced could not have come from a business--we don't have businesses that deal in or use caustic chemicals, certainly not after 10pm.

Any one ever have to deal with this? Am I on the wrong track here?

[scscholar]

1. Ever been around a Republican?

It smells somewhat like that.

[SheilaT]

2. That's not very helpful.

[elehhhhna]

5. Google Sheila, it'll provide answers...

[SheilaT]

8. Republicans smell like meth labs?

Really?

[Wella]

17. What answers will Google provide, elehhhhna?

Do you have anything helpful to add?

[elehhhhna]

31. hey wella

Googling meth lab smells like and the local dea phone # is a good start. Asking us, nsm. But hey if it explodes you'll know, Mkay?

When local Leo's don't care, call the dea. Trust me on this.

[Wella]

33. The DEA? I was also thinking about my local council person

Next week is going to be busy. I should attempt to make a police report, though, just in case.

[elehhhhna]

40. call the dea they're looking for things to do lately.

Seriously.

[Wella]

45. Seriously?

Never dealt with these guys.

[Kalidurga]

3. You have described a met lab pretty well

The signs are there. And there is enough probable cause for the police to do something. You might have to go over their heads and go to the station and talk to some higher ups. Meth labs are very dangerous and they can explode. I don't know how close you are, but I reckon if you are close enough for the fumes to cause a medical emergency you are far too close.

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/methnet/recognizingmeth/outside.html

[Warpy]

9. Exactly, and if you can find out who owns the building

report them. Not only is it a health hazard to people with respiratory issues, meth labs are so toxic they have to tear the place down to the studs in hazmat suits and rebuild it before it will be habitable again.

The landlord is likely collecting the rent and hoping they don't catch on fire or explode because they know they're not going to be able to rent the place out to anyone else without the full hazmat treatment.

Here is a list of some of the chemicals they use: http://chemistry.about.com/od/medicalhealth/f/What-Does-A-Meth-Lab-Smell-Like.htm Ammonia + bleach could have produced what set your asthma off, it's highly toxic.

Now that it's summer and you need to have your windows open, it's time to raise hell about this and I mean to the building inspector, the board of health, and the media if the cops are on the take and won't do anything.

Short term, keep your windows shut when the wind is from that direction. Also pack a bug out bag in case they catch on fire or blow up.

[Wella]

14. The sweet ether smell is interesting. I have smelled sweet smells on occasion, and have then gotten

a headache. I wonder how much harm this is doing to my health.

Ammonia and bleach together? That should release the chlorine gas.

[Kalidurga]

18. Well it's not good that's for sure.

I suspect the police really do know what is going on. That is why I suggested going over the heads of the beat cops and go directly to their boss. There are so many signs that a meth lab operation would have that I could spot one and I have.

[Wella]

19. Why would the police not act on it?

If someone with my complete lack of experience realizes there is something terribly wrong, why can't they?

[Kalidurga]

20. I can't say really. But, when something that obvious is not acted on their is usually a reason.

I suspect some sort of corruption. Perhaps they know the people renting there like they are relatives of relatives or something and someone informally said to not go after so and so cuz he is the cousin of so and so. Or, they are shaking them down for protection money kinda like the mob only they have badges. I am from a small town and there were cops that did this, you give em a little money or part of your stash and it was all cool with them. Or they are completely incompetent. That is always a possibility. But, there is no way they couldn't go through the trash and find their cooking ingredients, see the fans, smell the product cooking it smells to high heaven. All those things could be probable cause. OTOH they don't even need probable cause for a wellness check or whatever you call it when someone is concerned about the safety of someone in the house.

[Wella]

21. My neighbors stressed how unhelpful the cops were.

That is one reason I haven't gone down there. The other is I wasn't sure I was right. But what else could it be?

[elehhhhna]

32. payola, laziness, ignorance.

They can ignore you, not the dea.

[bettyellen]

39. In some cities the squads that investigate drugs are completely separate and have their own

priorities on who they are investigating. I'm sure at some levels there is corruption but basically when my brother was a cop they basically ignored the drug dealing they saw all round them and focused on public safety. Which kept them plenty busy.

[Wella]

13. Thank you for the link.

I am worried that the police might think I am nuts. I am also concerned about retribution.

[MADem]

27. If there are CHILDREN living in the building(s), that's a helpful "fun fact" for the po-po.

They might move a bit more enthusiastically if they believe that youngsters might be endangered.

[Wella]

34. There is a new baby living very close by.

Thanks for that.

[TexasTowelie]

4. This might be useful:

http://www.ncdoj.gov/getdoc/72a0bddf-2fec-45b2-97b5-449c7d89bdc6/2-0-1-1-3-2-Signs-of-a-Meth-Lab.aspx

Ether has a somewhat sweet smell to it. It is highly flammable and when we conducted experiments using it in organic chemistry we had to make certain that nobody working in the other labs (like for general chemistry) were using any Bunsen burners.

[Skittles]

6. you need to report it

very dangerous

[xfundy]

7. A meth house exploded somewhat near my suburban home

A couple of years ago. Killed some kids. It's mainly in the country areas but big in the burbs too.

I'd much rather be in the city. Safer there.

[Warpy]

10. There's a new recipe

and they can now cook batches in the back seat of a car.

Fortunately, this state was one of the first to tighten the purchase of pseudoephedrine, which drove most of the cookers south into Mexico or out of state. Tweakers import the stuff.

You could tell when the meth cookers moved across the border, their drug war down there escalated in violence practically overnight.

[Wella]

16. That's scary. This place is very close and I imagine an explosion would take my

neighborhood out with it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

24. Are there a lot of cars driving up and leaving in just a few minutes?

In SF bay area, I lived next door to a meth house.
There was stop and go traffic all the time, and some definitely prison inmate types hanging around.
There had been lab equipment sitting around in boxes in the carport for a week.
They kept all the windows covered all the time, even when it would have been normal to have the curtains open.
I took pics of all the cars that came and went for a month, to get their license plates, then called the cops, who came and took the information, and that....was that.
Nothing happened.
Ever.
The occupant moved out a couple years after I moved, I heard.

Unless the cops come and do the door busting down thing, there is no legal way to tell what they are doing, despite suspicious activity.

[Wella]

46. I mostly see the back of the property. There is a big parking lot at the corner

I'll watch and see if people go in and out.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. I've never smelled a meth cook,

but I can identify burning crack a mile away.

[edgineered]

12. maybe someone was cleaning their oven

[Wella]

15. No, this wasn't that.

/

[edgineered]

29. oven cleaner can be nasty smelling stuff,

if you've been around it you know what i mean, and you already eliminated it. having spent considerable time at a ccrc (continuing care retirement community) nothing much surprises me, there are retired people who have never cooked, run a washing machine, or even washed a dish in their entire life - retired from what? is a good question. didn't mean to suggest you are in that group, but didn't want to leave it out either!

[blogslut]

22. Maybe see if your local code enforcement/housing authority can do something

Tell them about the noxious odor and that you suspect there is a meth lab.

[SamKnause]

23. Hope this helps.

Meth labs can smell like cat urine, rotten eggs, sewer gas,

ether, wet diapers, paint thinners, paint removers, adhesives,

cleaning fluids, vinegar, pickled foods, cattle feed lots, and

fertilizers.

[LuvNewcastle]

25. Think about who you know.

Do you know anyone who works for the city, county, state, federal govt.? Think of the person you know who is the most highly placed and trustworthy. Business owners might work, too. Know anybody in media? What you'll probably have to do is talk to the closest person you trust and see who that person knows and go at it from there. Maybe you know a couple of people.

The reason I would use some stealth is because I don't like the fact that the cops already know, according to your neighbors, yet have done nothing. Besides corruption and other reasons like that, the place might be under surveillance in order to catch bigger criminals, or maybe a bust is out of the league of the city cops but they don't want to share credit for the bust. Maybe the feds are on it and have told the locals to stand down. There are many reasons why authorities might not be stopping this, and making too much noise could put you in danger. So I would do my digging quietly until I found the right person to spill the beans to.

I hope you're able to stop it, or someone else stops it soon. As you know, meth labs are prone to explode and you're in danger until it's cleaned up. It's a fact of life that we're dealing with crooked politicians and cops all the time, so we have to be careful how much information we divulge and to whom. One thing you need to know right away is who owns that building. That will determine how you proceed.

[Wella]

37. The idea about stealth is a good one. I don't want a target on my back.

When I went over to look at the place and saw all those very large fans in the windows and facing the door--blowing out--I realized that I could be sticking my neck out.

[davidpdx]

26. From the good information others have provided it seems like you are on the right track

I would be trying to gather as much information as you can without drawing attention and then see who you can seek out that is trustworthy.

If it is a meth lab the damn thing is a ticking time bomb that could take out people and property for about a square block. The people who are doing it are going to be lucky if they get caught before they kill someone and add a murder charge in the process.

[fredamae]

28. I don't know

But with old failing gas pipelines/sewage etc...I'd be worried about the odor beyond drugs/meth.

Do you live near any chemical plants? Fertilizer plants? Fracking?
RE: Meth...I only know what folks have told me.....I'm told processing it smells like "cat urine". I have no idea about other odors associated.

[Wella]

36. No old plants that I know of.

The odors are chemical and quite distinct. I have a feeling that I will end up having to move.

[fredamae]

38. Do you have

a State Ombudsman you could contact?

I'm sorry about what you are experiencing....

[Wella]

47. Thanks. I don't know if I have an Ombudsman.

I'm in California.

[mercuryblues]

30. start calling

the police for noise complaints. If they have to go there often enough and knock on the door they may smell it themselves and start an investigation. If they are considered a nuisance, because of all the complaints the landlord may be forced to evict them.

Get a few trusted neighbors to do this along with you, so the police know it is more than 1 person making the complaints.

[Wella]

35. Thanks. I want to see if I can get my neighbors to get together and approach the cops

I don't like doing this kind of thing alone.

[Comrade Grumpy]

41. If you could buy the stuff legally, there wouldn't be meth houses.

[pnwmom]

42. That doesn't follow. There could as easily be even more meth houses. n/t

[Comrade Grumpy]

43. THAT doesn't follow. Why would anyone cook meth if they could buy it at the store?

I don't recall an explosion in bathtub gin manufacture after Prohibition ended. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Pharmaceutical grade meth is pure, unadulterated with garbage.

[pnwmom]

44. To sell it for a profit. Just as pot is now sold legally and illegally in some states.

You seem to be of the opinion that meth-heads are capable of logical risk/benefit calculations. I am less optimistic.