“Our Dream House Was A Meth Lab”
“Australia’s ice epidemic causes heartache not only for users and their families, but also the innocent people who inadvertently move into homes once used as illegal drug labs”, writes Sue Smethurst in the latest (Nov 16) Australian Women’s Weekly.
“People are getting sick because of the invisible toxins from ice. This is a big problem in Australia, more widespread than we realise. We should be as aware of this as we are the effects of asbestos and lead paint,” says Flinders University academic and lecturer Dr Jackie Wright, who has completed a PhD on the health effects of clandestine meth labs.
“It’s such a toxic and powerful drug that the residue seeps into any porous surface – carpet, curtains, plaster, even the timber frames of homes,” says Dr Wright.
If you’ve ever wondered how easy it is to cook meth, watch this police demonstration.
The problem in New Zealand is so bad that insurance companies are requiring meth testing be carried out on properties before providing cover, and some banks are insisting on a clean bill of health before approving a mortgage. These business’ are well aware of the potential risk to themselves as third-parties in the property industry and are taking the appropriate steps to protect themselves from inadvertent losses as a result of meth.
The Test Home Buyers Almost Never Do, But Should
The Nugent family, of Indianapolis USA, carried out what they felt were all of the necessary pre-purchase checks before buying their new home. Except one. A meth contamination test.
They moved into their new home. And then they started getting sick. Shortness of breath, wheezing, headaches, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Once the neighbours mentioned that the previous occupant may have cooked ice there, the Nugent’s bought a DIY surface meth test kit and tested several areas which indicated a positive result for the drug. Subsequent testing of various rooms in the house came back with levels of meth that were 18 times greater than the safe limit.
“The first one came in, and we were just, ‘We’ve got to get out here. This is insane,'” Chris Nugent said. So the Nugent’s left almost everything behind and moved, first to a hotel and then to an apartment a few miles away. Fleeing their home has been financially devastating.
“We’ve lost everything,” he said “We put a lot into the home, but after we had to move out and go to the hotel, we just started cashing everything out.”
“It was heartbreaking,” she added. “We had so much security and then it was just wiped out within the matter of a year.”
Australia’s Alarming Ice Epidemic
So the Nugent’s case is from the US, but it’s perfectly relevant to Australia as more and more similar examples are reported here.
The 2015 Australian Crime Commission annual report, reported that there were 744 clan-labs busted across Australia. In NSW, police report that they see around 10 houses a year being demolished as a result of contamination that is so severe, it can’t be cleaned to safe levels. And these numbers are based on the 10% of labs that police actually find.
In the past 12 months, New Zealand’s State Housing agency have spend NZ$21m on cleaning and remediation of meth contaminated public housing, up from NZ$2.9m the previous year and NZ$700,000 in the 12 months before that.
The Queensland Government report spending only $600,000 on meth lab clean-ups in the last three years. It would be naive to think that the problem is that much worst in New Zealand public housing compared to Queensland, so the only way for this taxpayer-funded cost is up.
How Do I Know If A House Is Meth Contaminated?
Cleaning a home that’s been contaminated can cost anywhere between a few thousand dollars if contamination is low, to tens of thousands of dollars if wall and ceiling linings, carpets, appliances and white-ware need to be replaced. And worst case scenario, demolishing of the house.
Meth residue contamination can be found in homes across every socio-economic level from poorer areas to multi-million dollar homes. If a property has been rented or is rural or hidden from view, the chances that it may have been cooked in are even higher.
If you are planning to buy or rent, do your own testing on your shortlist of properties. If you’re a landlord test before letting and at the end of the tenancy at the bare minimum. Ideally, write a clause into your Tenancy Agreement that testing will be carried out throughout the tenancy, and do it. This will not only protect your property but will also act as a deterrent against tenants destroying your investment.
And if you have any property looked after by a professional management company, request they do the same. Remember, you’re paying them to protect your investment so if they don’t consider this an important part of looking after you and your property, find a company that does.
Do Your Own Testing With Surface Drug Test Kits
The only way to be certain of contamination is by surface testing for meth residue, and the most simple-to-use, inexpensive product available is the Narcotect D4D PenTest kit.
Available in singles, boxes of 10, or in a refillable, hard-wearing carry case, the D4D PenTest is your best defence against inadvertently becoming another victim of Australia’s ice epidemic.
