Injuries Stemming From Meth Labs Increasing

Injuries occurring in meth labs are on the rise, a new study finds. Common injuries include chemical burns, breathing problems and even deaths, according to HealthDay.

In five states studied, 162 people were injured in meth lab accidents between 2001 and 2012. The injured included 26 children and 42 law enforcement officials. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at injuries in Louisiana, Oregon, Utah, New York and Wisconsin.

The number of injuries related to meth labs initially dropped after 2005, when states restricted access to over-the-counter cold medicines, such as pseudoephedrine, that were used to make meth.

In 2008, meth makers learned to get around these laws by using fake names to buy cold medicine and purchasing small quantities from multiple locations. They also started to use the dangerous “shake and bake” method of making meth. This led to a rise in injuries, according to lead investigator Dr. Natalia Melnikova.

Meth makers shake smaller amounts of precursor chemicals into a two-liter plastic bottle, which often bursts, causing burns and environmental contamination, according to Melnikova.

The CDC noted injuries are becoming more serious. Between 2001 and 2004, 75 percent of meth-making injuries required hospital care. That rose to 90 percent between 2008 and 2012, the researchers note in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“The implementation of federal and individual state legislative efforts to curb meth production has sometimes resulted in unintended consequences, such as shifting the problem to other states and circumvention of laws limiting precursor availability,” the researchers wrote.