Managing Meth Contamination - Stewarts Drug Testing Blog 

When should you get drug testing done in a commercial and or residential scenario? It's a complex question that doesn’t have a single answer. But, we hope to enlighten you on the types of reasons and situations, where drug testing is essential.

When meth is smoked, the crystals are heated and change form. Those tiny particles that become airborne and do not make it into the user's system, will land on the walls, floors, ceilings and any soft furnishings. Once the smoke hits these surfaces, the drug embeds itself into the surface and eventually changes back to its original form, tiny crystals

Do you rent out one of your properties as a short-stay apartment or home? Have you ever rented out a short-stay apartment/home for business or a holiday? Let’s get straight into it. A significant number of short-term holiday homes are being used to manufacture Methamphetamine. Yes, you read that correctly, they are being used as meth labs. In May this year, an Airbnb in Adelaide was found to have a meth lab set up by two gentlemen who rented the home for five nights. The police stumbled across the lab after responding to reports of a fire. The two men had only moved into the house just 24 hours earlier. They set up the meth lab within the property intending to set up the lab, manufacture Methamphetamine, pack up and leave within this short five day period being completely undetected, something that the Adelaide Police said isn’t uncommon in short-term rental properties. Meth labs don’t need to be a chemistry equipment style lab (like this setup); often there is no sign these types of drug labs even existed once they’re dismantled. What is left though is toxic, dangerous chemicals and meth residue for the next unsuspecting renter. This toxic residue can cause symptoms including persistent cough, asthma-like symptoms, trouble sleeping, ADHD, decreased memory function, skin rashes, watery eyes, dizziness and blurry vision—the list goes on. Although this incident is shocking, it is not a one-off occurrence. In December 2015, a similar situation happened in Queensland where police raided an Airbnb and found a meth lab set up for manufacturing meth. Not too long after this, in March 2016, an explosion occurred at the Meriton apartments in Queensland. It was said that a man was manufacturing meth at 5 a.m. in the holiday apartment when he was mixing chemicals that caused the explosion to happen.

Western Australians addition to meth and understanding how the drug affects our bodies. We dive into this toping explaining how the drug changes the chemicals in our brain and how that, in turn, makes us feel. We then explore how the residue from using meth is contaminating our homes.

The adverse health effects of living within a methamphetamine-contaminated property are consistent. The impacts we are seeing are respiratory, cognitive and behavioural. These effects have included persistent cough, asthma-like symptoms, trouble sleeping, ADHD, decreased memory function, skin rashes, watery eyes, dizziness and blurry vision—the list goes on. Children tend to be more at risk of being affected by meth contamination as they play regularly coming into contact with walls, floors and other surfaces.

Property managers have a duty of care to the tenant, protecting their health and safety when living in the home. Any meth residue that has contaminated the property can cause significant health complications. This can present a liability risk by allowing a contaminated home to be occupied; the property manager may breach the Residential Tenancies Act in their state/territory or contravene building, environmental and health legislation, leaving landlords and agents exposed to legal action and claims for compensation. This blog will outline what to look for in a tenant who is using or manufacturing meth, how to work out if the property is contaminated, and what to do next!