Meth lab found in pricey N.Toronto neighbourhood

Ontarians are a little shocked this morning with the realization that living in an upscale neighbourhood does not mean immunity from problems with street drugs after police confirmed finding a meth lab in a north Toronto neighbourhood Wednesday.

Normally illegal meth labs are associated with run-down-looking housing. But the truth is, meth labs can be found anywhere. But because most people do not associate street drugs with affluent neighbourhoods, neighbours in a north Toronto area got a shock when it was found that the reason for the chemical smells someone noticed was a very large meth operation in two attached houses on Woburn Avenue. The Toronto Star reported that police blocked traffic from the street while they sent in a hazardous materials team to "... remove vats storing "highly explosive" chemicals used to make the street drug methamphetamine." The houses in this case are both reported to have a market value of $810,000 each. Residents of the neighbourhood reported a chemical smell, resulting in the discovery of the illegal drug lab. Residents of the neighbourhood are said to be in shock over the discovery. Reports are that the two Toronto homes were vacant when the police investigated the chemical smell. No residents have been evacuated and no arrests have been made. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive illegal street drug that is made from common household chemicals and over-the-counter cold and allergy remedies. Apparently each lab will have its own recipe, so the chemicals can differ from lab to lab. However, the chemicals are usually toxic and flammable. Earlier this summer, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released its 2009 World Drug Report which contained the shocking finding that Canada is a key source for "amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), such as methamphetamine and Ecstasy." In March, Australian authorities arrested a Canadian man who was trying to smuggle methamphetamine into the country in a foosball table. There was 21.7 kilograms of the drug found in the table.