Per capita, Australians are the biggest meth users in the western world.
Meth has severe impacts on behaviour and the body.
The horrendous nature of the drug and its high incidence of use presents a serious public health risk and liability exposure for those who must manage contaminated property.
‘The facilities in which illicit drugs can be manufactured vary from small clandestine laboratories through to industrial scale operations. These laboratories have been discovered in a range of locations including urban and rural premises, motor vehicles and caravans, demountable homes and motel rooms.’
(Australian Government: Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines, 2001)
When meth is manufactured or smoked it releases vapours that attach to hard surfaces and permeate porous surfaces. The vapours then crystallise on and in these surfaces, forming a meth residue that poses a serious health risk. This residue is the same as that produced when manufacturing and smoking meth!
When contact is made with contaminated surfaces, the human body absorbs these residues. Depending on the level of contamination, the risks may remain for years. Returning a recovered stolen vehicle to a customer with meth residue has the potential to result in long-term exposure through inhalation, skin contact and ingestion.
The consequences of long-term exposure to meth residue means that those responsible for handling property that is potentially contaminated, must actively test for meth residue in order to effectively discharge their moral and legal obligations.