title: The clandestine drug laboratory situation in the United States.
abstract: Clandestine, or illegal, laboratories are operated by the criminal element to circumvent legal requirements with the goal of supplying drugs of abuse to the illicit market. Investigation of clandestine drug manufacturing laboratories is a high priority of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) because elimination of these laboratories will prevent drugs of abuse from reaching the illicit drug traffic. One of the important responsibilities of forensic chemists assisting in investigations of clandestine drug laboratories is to be familiar with the methods of synthesis being used by clandestine laboratory operators. A review of clandestine laboratory seizures during the period of 1978 through 1981 will be provided to familiarize forensic chemists with current information on the types of laboratories being seized in the United States and the methods of synthesis being used.
mesh_terms: D015104:3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D000096:Acetone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D008702:Methaqualone / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D000096:Acetone; D008694:Methamphetamine; D015104:3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine; D008702:Methaqualone; D000661:Amphetamine; D010622:Phencyclidine; C008863:1-phenyl-2-propanone