Southaven, MS: Vertava Health of Mississippi, formerly known as Turning Point, announced the publication of a new article discussing the dangerous methamphetamine mixing process known as “shake and bake.” The article is a deep dive into how methamphetamine itself poses a great danger to those who create and consume it, and specifically looks at how one method of manufacturing the dangerous drug can lead to severe bodily injury and even death.
Located in Southaven, Mississippi, Vertava Health wrote about meth’s existence as a highly addictive substance, but also, the authorities struggling to control its creation and spread throughout local communities and across state lines.
“Since the ingredients for making some forms of meth are available at the grocery store or a gas station, it can be a difficult drug to stop from spreading,” the article stated. Homemade meth that was created in large batches, however, began to lessen due to laws passed in the United States.
People interested in making meth, whether for consuming it themselves or selling it, turned to the “shake and bake” method. It’s quicker, requires fewer ingredients, and is mobile enough someone can make the meth while they walk down an alley or sit in a car.
“It’s so easy,” a man named Dennis Potter told NPR, later going on to say, "I wish I never learned how [to make it]. It haunts me daily because I do know how to do it." That process led to Potter being severely burnt and requiring months of recovery, including extensive skin grafts.
“The bottle took on an orange glow, and within seconds an explosion blew the walls off the room and set [him] on fire.” That was Potter’s experience when he set out to make some shake and bake meth, even when he had already successfully made some in the past.
No matter how safe the method seems, due to volatile chemicals being mixed in differing amounts, the likelihood of catastrophic failure is always present. It becomes increasingly dangerous when someone is using a system as imprecise as shaking a bottle in order to mix chemicals.
Also, the container is almost always a plastic bottle, such as an old two-liter bottle that previously held a soft drink. Holding this, shaking it, and transporting it increases the risk of an explosion causing much more damage to others as well.
But it doesn’t just stop with those dangers because when meth is created it produces waste that can injure others for quite some time. This is one way houses where meth has been created in larger quantities can be located: a persistent smell or even discarded equipment known to be used for meth creation.
“It’s possible for someone who wasn’t involved in the meth production to be affected by it, especially in a situation where someone has made meth with the shake and bake method and discarded the container they used,” writes Vertava Health of Mississippi.
Someone could potentially come across a discarded plastic bottle and not know it was used to create meth. If they were to pick the bottle up they could potentially be burned, inhale something that could render them unconscious, or accidentally get a substance in their eyes and be rendered blind or suffer long-term vision impairment.
Although the piece is largely focused on discussing the dangers of shake and bake meth, it also details how treatment can help those who are struggling with meth addiction. Vertava Health of Mississippi focuses on utilizing evidence-based treatments that rely on and focus on the strength of those they help.
They wrote about their meth rehab treatment options, which include both inpatient and outpatient and utilize dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an industry-standard with years of reliable data to back up its effectiveness. They have someone available every day of the week, at any time, and can discuss treatment options with anyone.
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For more information about Vertava Health of Mississippi, contact the company here:
Vertava Health of Mississippi
(662) 579-3955
info@turningpointtreatment.org
340 Stateline Rd W
Southaven, MS 38671
