LV sees spread of meth labs

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 1998 | 11:15 a.m.

Producers of methamphetamine, the illegal drug of choice among Las Vegans, not only run the risk of being arrested in connection with the illegal substance, but they also risk their lives every time they work with the volatile chemicals used to make the drug.

Stacey Kimball, a 28-year-old Las Vegas woman, found out about the dangers when she lost part of a leg, some toes and a hand in a meth lab explosion early Monday morning in a house at 4700 Cinderella Lane.

Kimball remains in critical but stable condition at University Medical Center after surviving the explosion off Arville Street just south of Sahara Avenue.

Thomas Tinnon, a Las Vegas man, was arrested in connection with the explosion on charges of methamphetamine manufacturing, trafficking and conspiracy to sell the drug, and if Kimball survives she will face the same charges, Metro Officer Steve Meriwether said.

Meth, which can be snorted, injected or smoked, has become the drug of choice around Las Vegas, said Metro Narcotics Lt. Kent Bitsko.

"We've handled about 190 meth cases this year with two months to go," Bitsko said. "The numbers have gone up every year as meth has replaced cocaine as the drug of choice."

In 1995 Metro handled just 50 meth lab cases, but last year, that number had grown to 133 cases.

Meth is made by taking ephedrine tablets found in over-the-counter decongestants, and heating them until the ephedrine is highly concentrated. Converting or cooking the ephedrine into a sellable form is accomplished by adding hidriotic acid, found in iodine crystals, and red phosphorus, which is used in the manufacture of fireworks.

Hidriotic acid can dissolve human flesh and red phosphorus, if mishandled, can convert to yellow phosphorous which ignites spontaneously. Meth makers also use flammable solvents like ether, chloroform and freon.

"All of our people and the fire department go through 40 hours of training to deal with these situations because of the danger of explosions," Bitsko said. "All our people wear safety suits and breathing apparatus."

The dangers are so great, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates the safety requirements for those involved in meth lab cases. Police officers often are accompanied by chemists, bomb disposal experts and hazardous materials specialists when shutting down labs. Metro Police have closed an average of four to five labs a week this year.

A meth lab can be set up in hotel rooms, homes, apartments, bathrooms and a variety of other places, Bitsko said. Mason jars, pyrex dishes, buckets and bathtubs are often used to produce the drug.

"It's a relatively cheap and easy recipe, which makes it a profitable drug choice," Bitsko said.

Meth is cheaper and the high is longer lasting than cocaine, the popular drug of the '80s, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America's web site (www.drugfreeamerica.org). Enough meth for a four-day high can be bought for about $25, and the high from a single dose of the drug can last from 8 to 24 hours.

Meth, or crank as it is known on the street, stimulates the central nervous system and has several forms, including ice, a crystal-like solid form that can be smoked.

A 1998 survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed the number of people admitted to Nevada drug treatment programs who were using meth was 22 percent, four times higher than the 5 percent national level.