KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A call about a dead man led police to a meth lab. Several Kansas City, Mo., police officers who responded ended up sick from the fumes.
“It has a very distinctive odor. Some people say it smells like cat urine,” Tama Sawyer, managing director of Poison Control Center at the University of Kansas Hospital, said.
If there’s a meth lab nearby Sawyer, says your body will let you know.
“It could be irritating to the eyes, irritating to the nose; it could be irritating to the lungs,” she said. “You could get a cough from it, and if in a real heavy concentration of it, get dizziness and vomiting.”
The officers didn’t know about the lab until it was too late. They were responding to a call of a possible body in an apartment near 31st and Grand. When several started to show symptoms, they were taken to the hospital. Sawyer said it was a precaution. Most of the time a little distance and time is all that’s needed.
Once the officers fell ill, the entire building was evacuated and a haz-mat team handled the clean up. Depending on the type of lab and how long it was operational, the suspect apartment could be a problem. The chemicals seep into everything.
“Anything that’s porous: your drywall, carpeting, drapes, furniture fabrics,” she said. “It’s just going to be absorbed into all of that.”
Sawyer said sometimes everything needs to be replaced, but neighbors, even those who may have kids, don’t have to worry about long-term effects.
“If you’re feeling okay you’re probably okay,” she said. “Just a general doctor visit for children is what we do recommend, but if you’re feeling fine you are fine.”
If you are concerned about a possible meth lab or strange smells, the best thing to do is get away from the area and call police.
