'One Pot Meth Labs' Prompt Warnings From New Hampshire Police

KEENE, N.H. (CBS) – New Hampshire police are warning the public to stay away from discarded plastic bottles that could actually be dangerous "one pot meth labs."

The Keene Police Department wrote in a widely shared Facebook post on Monday that they are once again hearing about the bottles, which are used to mix chemicals that produce methamphetamine.

"The bottles often get discarded on the side of the road," police say. "Usually these bottles contain a sludge material or a white residue."

Removing the cap from one of those bottles could allow oxygen to mix in too quickly, resulting in an explosion.

"It can turn into a fireball of chemicals and flames leaving the holder and those around him badly burned," police wrote.

Alexandria police also shared the warning not to touch any suspicious bottles, stressing that the "slightest movement. . . could lead to a violent explosion."

These "one pot meth labs" have been known to authorities for years. CBS News reported that burn injuries started to rise in 2008 as meth producers began to use the bottles for a method called "shake-and-bake."