Louis Theroux - BBC Now

[Frankeh]

If you want to learn a bit about making the drug (Or rather the Hollywood version), watch a US TV series called Breaking Bad.
It's about a chemistry teacher who gets cancer, then to make more money for his family he cooks meth.
Obviously he makes way better meth than crackheads do, so he gets a name for himself.
Some of the science on the show seems to be right, but even if it isn't it's very entertaining.

Although they don't show how bad meth actually is on the users, probably to make the protagonist a little more likable.

[hairykrishna]

Marf said:

One thing I found interesting that I hadn't known before was that meth is made from an over the counter cough syrup. It was only mentioned in passing on the programme which I found odd, made me wonder why whichever precursor is found in the syrup isnt banned?

It's made from ephedrine. It's the stuff that's like speed and found in 'non-drowsy' flu tablets like Sudafed etc. It's actually pretty heavily restricted in the US now - you have to show ID to buy more than 60mg. It's illegal to buy more than a few grams in any given month. I think it's not banned because it's pretty useful. It's not like something like Safrole where there are very few legal uses.

The synthesis is laughably easy if the appropriate chemicals are available. The only tricky part is the fact that it needs red phosphurus which is pretty dangerous if you're not careful. It really can be made in the average kitchen though - it's not like something like MDMA.


I thought this show was ok. It was missing the moments of comedy that normally offset the grimness of LT's documentaries though.

[isrplc]

he sleeps with his sister!