13 Disturbing Ingredients Found in Street Drugs, from Laundry Detergent to Gasoline

Published on August 22, 2019
Drug Addiction

Illegal drugs that are sold on the street (such as synthetic drugs, heroin, cocaine, or ecstasy) are often marketed by drug dealers are being pure, which is enticing for those who are looking for a good high. However, these drugs are rarely ever as pure as promised and often contain many unknown additives, such as baking soda, sugar, or flour.

1. Levamisole
2.Battery acid
3. Drain cleaner
4. Lantern fuel
5. Antifreeze
6. Formaldehyde
7. Insecticides
8. Gasoline
9. Paint thinner
10. Hydrochloric acid
11. Laundry detergent
12. Hairspray
13. Other drugs

Many of these drugs are manufactured in secret illegal laboratories that are not monitored or held to any safety standards whatsoever. As a result, the people who make these drugs can add just about anything they want, including more sinister additives and chemicals that can cause serious physical harm or even death. Ecstasy, especially, is very unlikely to ever be pure, as it is often cut with meth, caffeine, and other substances. That means each pill, line, or hit may contain a different mix of caustic chemicals, which makes overdoses and poisonings much more likely even at lower doses. Before trying to quit on your own, read about at-home vs medical detox so you understand why supervised detox is usually the safer choice.

Despite the many harmful ingredients found in any single batch of street drugs, they are often easy to find and buy online, mislabeled as “plant food” or with warnings like “not for human consumption” to evade the law. However, you may want to think twice before buying or consuming those drugs. Here are a few disturbing ingredients that may be lurking in drugs that are sold on the street or online. If you are nervous about withdrawal, learn about the medications used in drug and alcohol detox and how they keep you as comfortable as possible.

1. Levamisole

Often found in cocaine, levamisole is a dewormer that is often used to deworm livestock. In humans, however, this anti-parasitic medication is highly potent and can drastically reduce white blood cells and weaken the immune system, leaving you more prone to infection and illness.^1,2

Why Dealers Use Household Products to Cut Street Drugs

Street drug manufacturers often use products like baking soda, sugar, or even antifreeze to dilute pure drugs and increase profits. This practice changes how strong each dose is and exposes people to serious side effects that have nothing to do with the drug itself.

2. Battery acid

Battery acid is often found in methamphetamine. It contains sulfuric acid, which is a very strong and corrosive chemical. If ingested, it can cause severe burns and tissue damage that can cause severe breathing problems, fever, burns, and pain in the mouth and throat, vomiting, chest pain, and rapid pulse.³

3. Drain cleaner

Drain cleaner may be used to make meth. It contains the poisonous ingredient sodium hydroxide, which can cause severe abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, burns in the mouth and throat, chest pain, and vomiting, among many other unpleasant side effects.⁴

4. Lantern fuel

Another disturbing ingredient that may be found in meth is lantern fuel. If consumed, it can cause chemical pneumonia, which can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood or mucus, and burning of the lips, mouth, and throat.^5,6

5. Antifreeze

Meth “cooks” may use antifreeze to produce their product, which is not only dangerous and explosive during the production process, but it’s also harmful to consumers. Ingesting antifreeze can cause a variety of symptoms, such as loss of coordination, slurred speech, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, seizures, and coma.^7,8

6. Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde can sometimes be used to make marijuana that is referred to as “wet” or “fry.” This type of marijuana is often dipped or laced with embalming fluid and formaldehyde, phencyclidine (PCP), or both. Inhaling these substances can cause lung damage and respiratory failure.⁹

7. Insecticides

Smoking bug-spray laced drugs is not a good idea, but it’s a certain method of meth abuse called “wasping.” Some drug users do this to achieve a new kind of high, but since these chemicals are not designed to be consumed by humans, they can produce some serious side effects in high doses, including twitching, tremors, throat irritation, respiratory depression, seizures, and coma.¹⁰

8. Gasoline

As unbelievable as it may sound, gasoline is also sometimes an additive that’s found in cocaine. Gasoline contains hydrocarbons that can enter the bloodstream and cause issues like vomiting, drowsiness, vertigo, confusion, convulsions, lung damage, and in severe cases, heart failure.^11,12

9. Paint thinner

One tell-tale sign of a meth lab is the presence of paint thinner, among other chemicals.¹³ This is another possible ingredient used to make the drug. Symptoms of paint thinner consumption may include burning in the throat, mouth, or stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath.¹⁴

10. Hydrochloric acid

Krokodil manufacturers use codeine as a base and add other chemicals such as hydrochloric acid to produce powerful psychoactive effects. As a result, people who abuse krokodil experience painful sores and scaly skin around injection sites and also suffer side effects like gangrene, bone infections, organ failure, vein inflammation, and pneumonia.¹⁵

11. Laundry detergent in Street Drugs

Laundry detergent is a common ingredient that is used to cut heroin or cocaine. It contains phosphates and acidic substances that can lead to harmful side effects like difficulty breathing, vomiting, burning in the mouth and throat, vision loss, and more. There is no separate category of drugs made from laundry detergent, but powdered detergents are sometimes mixed into heroin or cocaine as cheap, dangerous fillers. If someone has swallowed or inhaled laundry detergent along with a drug, any trouble breathing, persistent vomiting, or burning pain should be treated as a medical emergency.

Health Risks of Household Chemicals in Street Drugs

Household chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner, and laundry detergent are highly corrosive and can burn delicate tissues in the mouth, throat, lungs, and digestive tract. When they are smoked, snorted, or injected, the damage can be permanent and may lead to infections, organ failure, or death.

Is There Really a Drug Made from Laundry Detergent?

People sometimes talk about ‘drugs made from laundry detergent,’ but in reality detergent is usually a cheap cutting agent added to drugs like heroin or cocaine. Even so, swallowing or inhaling laundry detergent along with street drugs can cause chemical burns, trouble breathing, and other life‑threatening complications.

12. Hairspray

Sometimes dealers may use hairspray to solidify powdered cocaine into bricks after tampering with the purity.¹⁶ The typical hairspray used today contains polymers in a solvent like alcohol and propellant (often isobutane). Although the primary ingredient of concern in hairspray is the alcohol, it can interact poorly with other substances such as cocaine because both substances are metabolized through the liver, which produces cocaethylene. If it builds up in the body, cocaethylene can damage the liver or other organs.¹⁷

13. Other Drugs Used to Cut Street Drugs

Illegal drug manufacturers may also cut drugs like heroin, cocaine, or ecstasy with other dangerous substances like fentanyl, carfentanil, and lidocaine, an anesthetic. Mixing these various drugs can be very dangerous and often produces unpredictable side effects and health problems. Using drugs made from laundry detergent or other adulterated street drugs can cause severe burns, breathing problems, and organ damage that may not be obvious right away.

This disturbing list of ingredients and additives that may be found in commonly abused drugs is proof that even just a single use of drugs isn’t worth the risk. Almost any drug could be cut with a number of unknown substances and chemicals. Because these mixtures are so unpredictable, the safest option is to stop using and have a medical team check for hidden complications, such as heart problems, infections, or internal bleeding. You can also review four clear signs you need drug detox to decide if now is the right time to get professional help.

When to Seek Medical Detox for Contaminated Drugs

If you notice burning pain, trouble breathing, or sudden behavior changes after using street drugs, it may be a sign that they were cut with toxic household chemicals. A medical detox program can monitor your symptoms, treat complications early, and help you begin recovery in a safe, supervised setting.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Call (888) 857-0557 to speak with a representative at Briarwood Detox Center today to learn more about your drug detox treatment options. If you are worried about exposure to drugs made from laundry detergent, talking with a medical detox program can help you get evaluated and start treatment safely. If you live near Central Texas, our medical drug and alcohol detox in Austin can help you safely stop using street drugs that may be cut with dangerous chemicals.

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