Drug Lab Testing & Decontamination

Meth / Crystal

Amphetamine and related drugs such as methamphetamine are a group of drugs that act by increasing levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain. It includes prescription CNS drugs commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. It is also used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury and the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy and chronic fatigue syndrome. Initially it was more popularly used to diminish the appetite and to control weight. Brand names of the drugs that contain amphetamine include Adderall, Vyvanse, and Dexedrine. The drug is also used illegally as a recreational club drug and as a performance enhancer. The name amphetamine is derived from its chemical name: alpha-methylphenethylamine. Some biochemistry textbooks also claim that the name 'amphetamine' is derived from an abbreviation for "amphoteric amine, indicating that the compound can act as either an acid (proton donor) or a base (proton acceptor) depending upon its chemical environment. This origin seems unlikely, however, as there is no unique structural feature that makes amphetamine amphoteric; indeed, all primary amines are amphoteric. The name is also used to refer to the class of compounds derived from amphetamine, often referred to as the substituted amphetamines. Recreational users of amphetamine have coined numerous nicknames for amphetamine, some of the more common street names for amphetamine include speed, crystal meth, amp, whizz, and tweak. Amphetamine was first synthesized in 1887 by the Romanian Lazăr Edeleanu in Berlin, Germany. He named the compound phenylisopropylamine. It was one of a series of compounds related to the plant derivative ephedrine, which had been isolated from Ma-Huang that same year by Nagayoshi Nagai. No pharmacological use was found for amphetamine until 1929, when pioneer psychopharmacologist Gordon Alles resynthesized and tested it on himself, in search of an artificial replacement for ephedrine. From 1933 or 1934 Smith, Kline and French began selling the volatile base form of the drug as an inhaler under the trade name Benzedrine, useful as a decongestant but readily usable for non-medical purposes. One of the first attempts at using amphetamines as a scientific study was done by M. H. Nathanson, a Los Angeles physician, in 1935. He studied the subjective effects of amphetamine in 55 hospital workers who were each given 20 mg of Benzedrine. The two most commonly reported drug effects were "a sense of well being and a feeling of exhilaration" and "lessened fatigue in reaction to work". During World War II amphetamine was extensively used to combat fatigue and increase alertness in soldiers. After decades of reported abuse, the FDA banned Benzedrine inhalers, and limited amphetamines to prescription use in 1965, but non-medical use remained common. Amphetamine became a schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act in 1971. The related compound methamphetamine was first synthesized from ephedrine in Japan in 1918 by chemist Akira Ogata, via reduction of ephedrine using red phosphorus and iodine. The German military was notorious for their use of methamphetamine in World War II. Adolf Hitler received daily shots of a medicine his doctor called "vitamultine", which contained various essential vitamins in addition to methamphetamine. The pharmaceutical Pervitin was a tablet of 3 mg methamphetamine which was available in Germany from 1938 and widely used in the Wehrmacht, but by mid-1941 it became a controlled substance, partly because of the amount of time needed for a soldier to rest and recover after use and partly because of abuse. For the rest of the war, military doctors continued to issue the drug, but less frequently and with increasing discrimination as the war progressed onwards towards Nazi Germany's and the Axis' eventual defeat in 1945. In 1997 and 1998 researchers at Texas A&M University claimed to have found amphetamine and methamphetamine in the foliage of two Acacia species native to Texas, A. berlandieri and A. rigidula. Previously, both of these compounds had been thought to be human inventions. These findings have never been duplicated, and the analyses are believed by many biochemists to be the result of experimental error, and as such the validity of the report has come into question. Alexander Shulgin, one of the more experimented biochemical investigator and creator of hundred of new substances of that chemical family, tried to contact and verify that finding but the authors of the paper never answered, so natural amphetamine remains most likely a false discovery. Amphetamines were still in use in the US Air Force as of 2003. They are believed to have played a role in the deaths of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan involved in a friendly fire incident. Along with methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, etc.), amphetamine is one of the standard treatments for ADHD. Beneficial effects for ADHD can include improved impulse control, improved concentration, decreased sensory overstimulation, decreased irritability and decreased anxiety. These effects on productivity can be dramatic in both young children and adults. The ADHD medication Adderall is composed of four different amphetamine salts, and Adderall XR is a timed-release formulation of these same salt forms. When used within the recommended doses, side-effects like loss of appetite tend to decrease over time. However, amphetamines last longer in the body than methylphenidate and tend to have stronger side-effects on appetite and sleep. Amphetamines are also a standard treatment for narcolepsy, as well as other sleeping disorders. If used within therapeutic limits, amphetamines are generally effective over long periods of time without producing addiction or physical dependence. Amphetamines are sometimes used to augment anti-depressant therapy in treatment-resistant depression. Medical use for weight loss is still approved in some countries, but is regarded as obsolete and dangerous in others. Stimulants such as amphetamines elevate cardiac output and blood pressure making them dangerous for use by patients with a history of heart disease or hypertension. Also, patients with a history of drug dependence or anorexia should not be treated with amphetamines due to their addictive and appetite suppressing properties. Amphetamines can cause a life-threatening complication in patients taking MAOI antidepressants. Amphetamine is not suitable for patients with a history of glaucoma. Amphetamines have also been shown to pass through into breast milk. Because of this, mothers taking medications containing amphetamines are advised to avoid breastfeeding during their course of treatment. Amphetamine exerts its behavioral effects by modulating the behavior of several key neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. However, the activity of amphetamine throughout the brain does not appear to be non-specific; certain receptors that respond to amphetamine in some regions of the brain tend not to do so in other regions. For instance, dopamine D2 receptors in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with forming new memories, appear to be unaffected by the presence of amphetamine. The major neural systems affected by amphetamine are largely implicated in the brain’s reward circuitry. Moreover, neurotransmitters involved in various reward pathways of the brain appear to be the primary targets of amphetamine. One such neurotransmitter is dopamine, a chemical messenger heavily active in the mesolimbic and mesocortical reward pathways. Not surprisingly, the anatomical components of these pathways—including the caudate putamen, the nucleus accumbens, and the ventral striatum—have been found to be primary sites of amphetamine action. That amphetamines influence neurotransmitter activity specifically in regions implicated in reward provides insight into the behavioral consequences of the drug, such as the stereotyped onset of euphoria. A better understanding of the specific mechanisms by which amphetamines operate may increase our ability to treat amphetamine addiction, as the brain’s reward circuitry has been widely implicated in addictions of many types. Amphetamine has been found to have several endogenous analogues; that is, molecules of a similar structure found naturally in the brain. l-Phenylalanine and β-Phenethylamine are two examples, which are formed in the peripheral nervous system as well as in the brain itself. These molecules are thought to modulate levels of excitement and alertness, among other related affective states. Perhaps the most widely studied neurotransmitter with regard to amphetamine action is dopamine, the “reward neurotransmitter” that is highly active in numerous reward pathways of the brain. Various studies have shown that in select regions, amphetamine increases the concentrations of dopamine in the synaptic cleft, thereby heightening the response of the post-synaptic neuron. This specific action hints at the hedonic response to the drug as well as to the drug’s addictive quality. The specific mechanisms by which amphetamines affect dopamine concentrations have been studied extensively. Currently, two major hypotheses have been proposed, which are not mutually exclusive. One theory emphasizes amphetamine’s actions on the vesicular level, increasing concentrations of dopamine in the cytosol of the pre-synaptic neuron. The other focuses on the role of the dopamine transporter DAT, and proposes that amphetamine may interact with DAT to induce reverse transport of dopamine from the presynaptic neuron into the synaptic cleft. Physical effects of amphetamine can include reduced appetite, increased/distorted sensations, hyperactivity, dilated pupils, flushing, restlessness, dry mouth, erectile dysfunction, headache, tachycardia, increased breathing rate, increased blood pressure, fever, sweating, diarrhea, constipation, blurred vision, impaired speech, dizziness, uncontrollable movements or shaking, insomnia, numbness, palpitations, arrhythmia. In addition, increased awareness of one's body's sensations can cause the user to perceive certain physical effects, such as sudden hot or coldness, a flushed face, or very rapid heart rate. In high doses or chronic use convulsions, dry or itchy skin, acne, pallor can occur. Occasionally amphetamine use in males can cause an odd and sometimes startling effect to occur in which the penis when flaccid appears to have shrunk. The reason this occurs is because amphetamine is a potent vasoconstrictor or an agent that constricts blood vessels. The rigidness of the erection and the size of the penis are in part by affected by the amount of blood flow to the penis. When amphetamine constricts the blood vessels enough it reduces blood flow to the penis and then can produce a penis that is slightly smaller and this effect is often coupled along with impotence and erectile dysfunction. Upon erection the penis returns to normal size. Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a heart attack. In a study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers examined data from more than 3 million people between 18 and 44 years old hospitalized from 2000 through 2003 in Texas. After controlling for cocaine abuse, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lipid disorders, obesity, congenital defects, and coagulation defects, they found a relationship between a diagnosis of amphetamine abuse and heart attack. Psychological effects of amphetamine can include anxiety and/or general nervousness (by increased norepinephrine), euphoria, metacognition, creative or philosophical thinking, perception of increased energy, increased sense of well being, increase of goal-orientated thoughts or organized behavior, repetitive behavior, increased concentration/mental sharpness, increased alertness, feeling of power or superiority, emotional lability, excitability, talkativeness, an increased expression of aggression or paranoia, and occasionally amphetamine psychosis, typically in a high and/or chronic doses. Effects are similar to other phenylethylamine stimulants and cocaine. Withdrawal from chronic recreational use of amphetamines can include anxiety, depression, agitation, fatigue, excessive sleeping, increased appetite, psychosis and suicidal thoughts. An amphetamine overdose can lead to a number of different symptoms. Some include psychosis, chest pain, and hypertension. Tolerance is developed rapidly in amphetamine abuse, therefore increasing the amount of the drug that is needed to satisfy the addiction. Repeated amphetamine use can produce "reverse tolerance", or sensitization to some psychological effects. Amphetamine does not have the potential to cause physical dependence, though withdrawal can still be hard for a user. Many users will repeat the amphetamine cycle by taking more of the drug during the withdrawal. This leads to a very dangerous cycle and may involve the use of other drugs to get over the withdrawal process. Users will commonly stay up for 2 or 3 days to avoid the withdrawals then dose themselves with benzodiazepines, barbiturate, and in some cases heroin, to help them stay calm while they recuperate or simply to extend the positive effects of the drug. Chronic users of amphetamines sometimes snort or use drug injection to experience the full effects of the drug in a faster and more intense way, with the added risks of infection, vein damage, and higher risk of overdose with drug injection. Because of the abuse of amphetamines in the U.S., brands discontinued by the 1990s, including Preludin, known on the street as "slams", whose coating was removed so that the waxy pill in the center could be processed and the active ingredient injected. Amphetamines are still produced in the United States: those prescribed for narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and extreme obesity. Amphetamines are used by college and high-school students as a study and test-taking aid. Amphetamines work by increasing energy levels, concentration, and motivation, thus allowing students to study for an extended period of time. These drugs are often acquired through ADHD prescriptions to students and peers, rather than illicitly produced drugs. Amphetamines have been, and are still, used by militaries around the world. British troops used 72 million amphetamine tablets in the second world war and the RAF used so many that "Methedrine won the Battle of Britain" according to one report.[51] American bomber pilots use amphetamines ("go pills") to stay awake during long missions. The Tarnak Farm incident, in which an American F-16 pilot killed several friendly Canadian soldiers on the ground, was blamed by the pilot on his use of amphetamine. A nonjudicial hearing rejected the pilot's claim. Amphetamine is also used by professional, collegiate and high school athletes for its strong stimulant effect. Energy levels are perceived to be dramatically increased and sustained, which is believed to allow for more vigorous and longer play. However, at least one study has found that this effect is not measurable. The use of amphetamine during strenuous physical activity can be extremely dangerous, especially when combined with Alcohol and athletes have died as a result, for example, British cyclist Tom Simpson. Amphetamine use has historically been especially common among Major League Baseball players and is usually known by the slang term "greenies". In 2006, the MLB banned the use of amphetamines. The ban is enforced through periodic drug-testing. If a player tests positive for amphetamine, the consequences are significant. However, the MLB has received some criticism because the consequences for amphetamine use are dramatically less severe than for anabolic steroid use, with the first offense bringing only a warning and further testing. Truck drivers, especially long-haul drivers, often take amphetamine to combat symptoms of somnolence and to increase their concentration on driving this could have impacted the wide rapid spread of meth. The social and cultural impact of amphetamine has been, and continues to be, quite extensive. From the 1960s onward, amphetamine has been popular with many youth subcultures in Britain (and other parts of the world) as a recreational drug. It has been commonly used by mods, skinheads, punks, goths, gangstas, and casuals in all night soul and ska dances, punk concerts, basement shows and fighting on the terraces by casuals. Amphetamine is also used in the gay and rave cultures, to break down inhibitions, as well as keep dancing or having sex for prolonged periods (though in these subcultures, methamphetamine is arguably equally as popular). The hippie counterculture was very critical of amphetamines due to the behaviors they cause; beat writer Allen Ginsberg wrote that users ran the risk of becoming a "Frankenstein speed freak". The mods, being working class, were often opposed to the slower, more contemplative, meditative ideals and lifestyle of the hippies. Amphetamines therefore suited their high energy and aggressive aesthetics and lifestyle, whether it was dancing to soul music at all night parties, or fighting rockers. The writers of the Beat Generation used amphetamine extensively, mainly under the Benzedrine brand name. Jack Kerouac was a particularly avid user of amphetamine, which was said to provide him with the stamina needed to work on his novels for extended periods of time. Scottish author Irvine Welsh often portrays drug use in his novels, though in one of his journalism works he comments on how drugs (including amphetamine) have become part of consumerism and how his novels Trainspotting and Porno reflect the changes in drug use and culture during the years that elapse between the two texts. Famous mathematician Paul Erdős took amphetamines, and once won a bet from his friend Ron Graham, who bet him $500 that he could not stop taking the drug for a month. Erdos won the bet, but complained during his abstinence that mathematics had been set back by a month: "Before, when I looked at a piece of blank paper my mind was filled with ideas. Now all I see is a blank piece of paper." After he won the bet, he promptly resumed his amphetamine habit. Many songs have been written about amphetamine, but it has also influenced the aesthetics of many rock'n'roll bands (especially in the mod R&B, death rock, punk/hardcore, gothic rock and extreme heavy metal genres). The Jesus And Mary Chain's use of distortion and feedback was heavily influenced by their use of amphetamines, along with their highly confrontational stage shows early in their existence. This lead them to be banned from venues, even starting riots. Like JAMC, The Who were keen amphetamine users early in their existence, especially Keith Moon, whose drumming style was possibly influenced by them. The Who's 1965 iconic Mod/youth anthem My Generation, famously re-creates in Roger Daltrey's vocals, the effect of amphetamines on the ability to speak. The pills accelerate the brain's processes to the degree that ideas flow faster than the ability to communicate them by speech, resulting in the characteristic stuttering of words. At various times, in the period 1965-66, either to avoid controversy or to keep the true drug-related reason a secret among "those in the know", Pete Townshend stated the stuttering was a protest at the government's poor record of national education opportunities. However, several years later he later spilled the beans that it mimicked someone under the effect of amphetamines. Many rock'n'roll bands have named themselves after amphetamines and drug slang surrounding them. For example Mod revivalists, The Purple Hearts named themselves after the amphetamine tablets popular with mods during the 1960s, as did the Australian band of the same name during the mid 1960's. The Amphetameanies, a ska-punk band, are also named after amphetamines but also intimate their effects. Motorhead named themselves after the slang for an amphetamine addict. Interestingly, Lemmy Kilmister, said amphetamines were the only drug that he found any benefit in using, saying: " first got into speed because it was a utilitarian drug and kept you awake when you needed to be awake, when otherwise you'd just be flat out on your back. If you drive to Glasgow for nine hours in the back of a sweaty truck you don't really feel like going onstage feeling all bright and breezy... It's the only drug I've found that I can get on with, and I've tried them all — except smack and morphine: I've never fixed anything." Many films have been created that are either visually or aesthetically influenced by the perceived effects of amphetamine, or that portray amphetamine use in their plotlines. For example, the film Spun portrays the life of methamphetamine addicts, their social interactions, and the impact the drug has on their lives. In Requiem for a Dream, the character Sara Goldfarb suffers amphetamine psychosis after having been prescribed amphetamines as a weight loss drug; she imagines that her refrigerator is trying to devour her. A Scanner Darkly (as well as the novel of the same name) contains a scene where the character Charles Freck suffers from formication. Several episodes of The Bill have been centered around an explosion at a meth lab in the fictional borough of Sunhill. In episode four of the television series Breaking Bad the character Jesse Pinkman apparently suffers from a brief episode of Amphetamine psychosis. The documentary Childhelp Crystal Darkness shows children affected by amphetamine addiction and the efforts to stop and prevent it. Uniquely, it is partially filmed in a host city and is tailored to show the city's problem and broadcast on all channels in the local area. Advertising has also alluded to and portrayed the effects of amphetamine in both serious and humorous ways, especially in anti-drug campaigns. The Montana Meth Project has commissioned a series of public information films showing the effects of methamphetamine on both the user, and society in general. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has also commissioned public information films depicting the of impact amphetamine use on communities, with both social and environmental consequences. On the other hand, advertisements for Red bull energy drinks often allude to effects similar to amphetamine in a tongue-in-cheek manner, with the slogan "Red bull gives you wings". One American anti-drug public information film uses humor, parodying a Folgers coffee jingle to raise awareness of the effects of amphetamine abuse. In the United Kingdom, amphetamines are regarded as Class B drugs. The maximum penalty for unauthorized possession is five years in prison and an unlimited fine. The maximum penalty for illegal supply is fourteen years in prison and an unlimited fine. Methamphetamine has recently been reclassified to Class A, penalties for possession of which are more severe (7 years in prison and an unlimited fine). In the Netherlands, amphetamine and methamphetamine are List I drugs of the Opium Law, but the dextro isomer of amphetamine is indicated for ADD/ADHD and narcolepsy and available for prescription as 5 and 10 mg generic tablets, and 5 and 10 mg gel capsules. In the United States, amphetamine and methamphetamine are Schedule II drugs, classified as CNS (central nervous system) stimulants.[64] A Schedule II drug is classified as one that has a high potential for abuse, has a currently-accepted medical use and is used under severe restrictions, and has a high possibility of severe psychological and physiological dependence. Internationally, amphetamine is a Schedule II drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This information compiled with numerious drug proffesionals is the reason baycon special projects unit decontaminates drug manufacturing houses, hotels,vehicles and meth labs as well as biohazard removal in nh, ma, me, and vt. For al your bio hazard needs contact the special projects unit by calling baycon corp at 800-605-6093

The potential danger, risk, or harm from exposure to such an agent or condition.

Hazard to humans or the environment resulting from biological agents or conditions.

Biohazard Control

procedures, facilities, programs and equipment for containing hazardous biologic agents by way of physical and biological barriers; physical containment involves the use of special equipment, facilities, and procedures to prevent the escape of the agent.

Bio-safety or biohazard control is a team effort Bio-safety or biohazard control is a team effort involving the PI, research lab personnel, BSO, involving the PI, research lab personnel, BSO, IBC, IRB, IACUC, EHS, PP and PS.

Biohazard Control, Decontamination, Cleanup, and Restoration Dealing with what others don't, or can't handle.

Biohazard Detection

Testing for the presence of harmful chemical or biological agents; includes intentional (bio or chemical warfare) or accidental, as well as laboratory accidents with hazardous items.

Health Hazard

Hazard to the health of those exposed to it.

A source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune; "drinking alcohol is a health hazard".

Financial Assistance for Cleaning Bio Hazards
----> Financial Assistance for Cleaning Bio Hazards

Bio Hazardous Terms
----> See bio hazardous terms

Dangers of blood exposure
----> Hazards of Blood