19 September 2016 –
According to this recent article in the Queensland Times, the use of the drug ice in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, has doubled in only three years. This alarming statistic is based on the increase in referrals to local support services for meth-related problems.
It’s a disturbing statistic that shows how ingrained the use of this drug has become in the Ipswich community. And Ipswich is not an isolated case. This issue will be common to virtually every community, large and small, across Australia.
But the users of meth are not the only victims. There is the increased level of domestic and street violence fuelled by meth, there’s the crimes committed by users to pay for their habit, and there’s the damage being done to properties as a result of meth being used or cooked in the home. Many of these houses will be rental properties and unless testing is carried out, landlords may be none the wiser until they get landed with a clean-up bill after the tenant has departed.
In addition, there are the innocent families moving into their new home only to find that it has previously been used as a drug den or cooking lab. They have no idea until a neighbour points it out or unusual illnesses begin affecting the family, illness caused by exposure to the chemicals used in the manufacture of meth that are contaminating the home
But by then it’s too late. The family now own the problem and their dream home turns into a nightmare when they need to conduct expensive testing with the possibility of moving out to make way for a clean-up and remediation potentially costing thousands of dollars.
There is an inexpensive, simple-to-use solution available
If you or someone you know is considering moving into a new rental home, or looking to buy a house, get it tested before committing to an agreement. This can be done easily and inexpensively using a Narcotect D4D PenTest surface drug test kit.
You only need around 4 kits to adequately test a 3 or 4 bedroom house and the result could save you significant money and heartache. This should become a part of the due diligence anyone does before agreeing to buy or rent. The risks of not testing are too high.
If you’re a landlord, include routine testing for meth in your tenancy agreement or at the very least conduct a test when a tenant is vacating the property. Perhaps the threat of regular testing will provide sufficient deterrent to ensure that if your tenants do use drugs, they’re using them somewhere else and not destroying your investment.
For more information on how to purchase the Narcotect meth surface test kit click here.
