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You are here: Community Safety   |   Drug Education   |   Clandestine Drug Labs
Clandestine Drug Labs PDF Print E-mail

What are Clandestine Drug Labs?
A clandestine drug lab is a home-made laboratory that is used to produce, or "cook" illegal drugs. The drug that is primarily produced in clandestine labs is methamphetamine.

How do I spot a drug lab?
Clandestine drug labs have traditionally used glassware one would expect to find in a scientific laboratory. However, new methods have been developed that use items commonly found in kitchens and homes.

Clandestine drug labs use materials readily available in drug stores, grocery stores and hardware stores as starting materials. Through chemical reactions, the desired drugs are created. These reactions can produce very dangerous chemicals and vapours as byproducts. Clandestine drug labs may be located in remote areas in order to avoid raising suspicion due to the pungent odours created by the chemical reactions.

What Do I Do?
If you discover what appears to be a clandestine drug lab, or suspect you have discovered one, do not approach or investigate it. Clandestine drug labs are extremely dangerous. Contact the police immediately.