METH EFFECTS:
"I used to get violent when I was on Meth, especially when I was coming down. I would hurt my family. I would steal from them. I would lie to them."
Bernadette, Butte - Age 15
THE ENVIRONMENT
For every pound of Meth produced, approximately five pounds of toxic waste is generated. This waste may include corrosive liquids, acid vapors, heavy metals, solvents, and other harmful materials. Because of the illicit nature of Meth production, waste is often dumped haphazardly, contaminating watersheds used by humans and animals. When Meth is being cooked in a lab, the vapors produced permeate every porous surface in the building, often making them uninhabitable. These vapors can also be highly volatile, sometimes leading to explosions that can severely burn or kill those nearby.
To avoid detection, those cooking Meth will often use mobile labs that can be set up outdoors. In recent years, abandoned labs have been discovered at Montana trailheads and fishing accesses, jeopardizing our access to public lands and endangering wildlife. Meth-contaminated waste is commonly found along roadsides.
The toxic nature of these sites requires specialized clean-up techniques that are administered by the State Department of Environmental Quality. These costs frequently run thousands of dollars per incident, requiring funds that come out of the already-tight budgets of local law enforcement or property owners.