Methamphetamine – FAQs

Methamphetamine, also known as P or Ice, is a highly addictive drug that is usually smoked but can also be snorted or injected after being dissolved in liquid. The drug affects the central nervous system and can be addictive from the very first try. Meth is relatively easy to make and many of the ingredients are found common household items.

Some properties are just lived in by meth users who smoke the drug while at the property. Other places are used as meth labs by the people who manufacture the drug either for their own use or to sell to others. At a meth lab, precursor ingredients many of which are easy to find, are combined to make the drug. Because meth labs are easy to set up they can be found in any type of property and in any suburb. If the property has been used as a meth lab levels of contamination are likely to be much higher than if the house has simply been used by meth users, especially if the manufacturing is on a large scale.

Living in a property that has been used for smoking or making Meth can contribute to a range of health issues. In fact these unexplained health problems may be the first indication that you are living in a contaminated house.

Health issues include dizziness, headaches, nausea, excessive sneezing and breathing problems and skin issues. More serious long term issues are still being researched but current studies suggest problems could include serious respiratory problems and possibly even cancer.

It is actually very hard to tell as a novice whether you are in a meth contaminated house especially if it was just used by meth users.

Things to look for if a property has been a lab include:

• Cat urine or chemical smells
• Stains on the wall or evidence of recent cleaning above what you might usually expect
• Evidence that windows have been blacked out
• Rubbish around the property such as glass containers and chemical packaging

Things to look for if a property has been a user site:

• Missing incandescent lightbulbs
• Property neglect
• Reports of lots of visitors to the property – day and night

You may also experience health symptoms that cannot be explained which may be an indication that your property is contaminated.

In reality the only way to know for sure if your house is contaminated by meth is to carry out meth testing.
The best solution is to get a professional sampler who will carry out extensive meth house sampling for you. Most can give you a quick yes or no answer and then carry out more testing if necessary.

If you think you need a professional meth sampler we can recommend reliable companies to carry out sampling for you. We also offer products for meth lab decontamination if you wish to do a clean up yourself or can recommend a decontamination company. Contact us to find out more.