Items Commonly Used in Meth Production |
| Take a look at these common household itms. Most people buy these products on a regular basis and for their intended use. Some, however, use these products to make illegal drugs such as methamphetamine or "meth." Frequent or large purchases of these and similar products may be a sign of illegal drug manufacturing. |
| Items to watch for: |
- Cold and asthma tablets containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine
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- Rubbing and isopropyl alcohol
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- Drain cleaner (sulfuric acid)
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- Matchbooks (red phosphorous)
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Sponsored by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the Meth Watch Program is and is designed to help curtail the theft and suspicious sales of pseudoephedrine and other common household products used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. A key goal of this program is to promote cooperation between retailers and law enforcement to prevent the diversion of legitimate products for illegal use.
Meth Watch is a proven and replicable program that has impacted meth lab seizures, hampered small toxic lab meth production, and decreased pseudoephedrine product losses by retailers.
Meth Watch is a voluntary program that involves many people at the community and state level, including law enforcement, state and local public officials, the national guard, community activists, and drug prevention personnel, however retail involvement is the key to its success.
HOW IT WORKS
Participating retailers place these products where they can be easily monitored, post Meth Watch signs and tags on their doors and windows, around their cash registers and on the shelves where these products are located. They may impose purchase limits to prevent high volume sales. They also train their employees to recognize, but not to confront, suspicious customers, and to contact law enforcement with as much identifying information as possible.
BECOME A METH WATCH PROGRAM MEMBER
To learn more about the program, become a member or report suspicious activites or purchases, contact Detective George Shaw of the North Augusta Public Safety Narcotics Unit at 803-441-4269.
You can also learn more by visiting the South Carolina Meth Watch Program online.
Participating Businesses:
CVS Pharmacy
Parks Pharmacy
Wall Hardware
Dollar General
Thomas & Howard
Kroger
Publix Supermarket
Eckerd Pharmacy
