Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug. Because it is highly abusive and highly addictive, meth is classified as a "schedule two" drug and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled, according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse.
It has very limited medical uses and is served in doses much smaller than those used by abusers.
Used as an illegal drug, street names for methamphetamine include speed, meth and chalk. It can be presented as a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder.
Abusers can easily dissolve it in water or alcohol, take it orally, use it by needle injection, or take it by smoking or snorting. Most of the meth used in the United States is fabricated in super labs in Mexico, although smaller independent laboratories still exist illegally in the U.S.
The ingredients of meth are more easily obtainable than one may think.
The process can employ simple household ingredients and can typically be accomplished in less than four hours. Any determined user is capable of manufacturing the drug, but the safety aspect is a different story. For every pound of meth cooked, nearly six pounds of toxic waste is created, according to Sierra magazine.
Labs can be found anywhere from suburban houses to motel rooms to car trunks to campsites. Large labs can be made out of deserted barns or warehouses. Household-made meth can be concocted from the simplest of items including striker plates from matchbooks, the guts of lithium batteries, and drain cleaners.
For superlaberatories making meth in large doses, manufacture begins with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine powder. This can be obtained through standard cold medicines.
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Meth Labs
News 8's Todd Boatwright shows us why you should be on alert the next time you're staying in a motel.
 
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The pure pseudoephedrine is then mixed with red phosphorus and hydriodic acid, according to a Discovery article. After adding a binding substance, the liquid meth is drained out. To make the liquid into a salt-like form, hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled through the liquid meth.
After being poured through a filtering cloth, the meth is dried on the filter. It is then mixed with fillers, and ready for use or sale.
To avoid home contamination and risk for evidence at home, meth cooks have been renting motel rooms to use as a lab and even a place to sell from.
According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, methamphetamine labs can be set up and produced in less than four hours, which is typically done between midnight and 4 a.m. The room can be rented in the evening, and the dealer can be gone by the morning.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has reported finding evidence in 1,789 motel rooms for drug-making in the past five years. Experts said many more have gone unreported.
The drug will linger in the hotel room. Look out for skin irritation, vomiting, rashes, asthma problems and other respiratory issues, all symptoms of even short-term exposure to meth. Dangerous contaminants can lurk onto countertops, microwaves, sinks and bathtubs.
