How the "Nazi Cold Cook Method" Changed the World of Methamphetamine Production

Living in Southern California I was exposed to a lot of different forms of addiction; tweekers stole anything that wasn't nailed down, heroin addicts recycled aluminum cans to feed their need and the garden variety alcoholic had to do nothing more than walk in to a grocery store and grab a 24 pack of beer. While not an addict, I saw first hand how these addictions destroyed people. Some were gradual, others took only a few months. Methamphetamine production was so rampant that there was a cable channel that broadcast around the clock about the dangers of meth, how to report it, early signs of use and various statistics that were supposed to 'scare' people straight.

Most people are surprised to learn how easy methamphetamine is to make; one of the most basic ways is the "cold cook" or Nazi method. This requires no heat source so it is considered less dangerous; that's sort of like saying juggling with kitchen knives is safer than using chain saws. The items used to extract the binders from the cold pills or ephedrine are usually flammable to some degree; what's even more alarming is that everything you need to set up your very own meth lab can be purchased locally at a hardware store or Wal-Mart.

With the creation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act federal agencies sought to limit the number of packages of cold medicine a person could purchase (most of the new regulations included designer drugs mentioned in the Substance Analogue Enforcement Act passed in 1986). When first enacted it was a disorganized system that had no 'checks and balances'; if someone wanted to buy mass quantities of something all they had to do was go to different stores. When things became computerized the meth manufacturers stepped up their game and started recruiting underlings to buy medications such as Claritin, Sudafed, Contac Cold and Nasofed.

The "cold cook" method allowed for meth to be produced almost anywhere. It also meant that there were less containers, canisters and bottles to get rid of which translated to less proof of an illegal operation. Even so, in the middle of the night, every so often, you could still hear explosions when a meth lab blew up in one of the surrounding counties.

So what is the connection between methamphetamine and the Nazi's? While conspiracy theorists love to say that Hitler invented methamphetamine, it was first synthesized in Japan in 1919 although there were earlier tests and studies done as early as 1892. The United States was not far behind; Abbott Laboratories (credited as the first company to create an HIV screening kit) applied for fair-usage of the drug to treat narcolepsy, tremors, episodes of manic depression and delusions. In Germany, Pervitin and Isophan were two of the name brand methamphetamine containing products that were shipped to the front line; when supplies were thin the 'cold cook' method was used to create large batches.

Why was meth so popular? It gave those taking it a feeling of euphoria but the truth behind the distribution was ten-fold. It gave soldiers the feeling of being immortal so they could fight longer and harder while avoiding fatigue, depression and the moral decay that surrounded them. It was also something used in the concentration camps to keep guards from developing any type of sympathy for their captives. If anyone dared to question the validity of 'extensive' testing they were ordered to be silent on the matter or simply reassigned. I think everyone knows what that means.