Meth House Hysteria

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Fred99

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#236353 29-May-2018 15:17

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104287037/rental-meth-panic-over

"In the absence of clear scientific and health information, there has been an assumption among the general public that the presence of even trace levels of methamphetamine residue poses a health risk," Gluckman said.

"There is absolutely no evidence in the medical literature of anyone being harmed from passive use, at any level. We can't find one case."

Gluckman said testing and cleaning still made sense when there was suspicion that methamphetamine had been produced on a property - but this was more to do with reassurance.

He said a "moral panic" around cleaning and remediation had occurred only in New Zealand. If science had been involved earlier in the policy-making process this could have been avoided.

Mould was a much larger health risk to tenants than meth residue.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#2024913 29-May-2018 15:33

Posting the official NZ Government press relelase:

Report into meth contaminated homes released

A new report into methamphetamine smoking residue on household surfaces has found there is no evidence third-hand exposure causes adverse health effects, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford says.

The report was produced by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman.

“In December 2017 I commissioned Sir Peter to assess all the available scientific and medical literature about the risks of exposure to meth residue,” Phil Twyford says.

“I was concerned at the time, and I remain so, that there has been some anxiety about meth contamination, and a testing and remediation industry has grown up around this.

“There has been a widely held perception that the presence of even low levels of meth residue in a house poses a health risk to occupants. As a result, remediation to eliminate contamination has been an extremely costly business for landlords and an upheaval for tenants being evicted at short notice.

“No one is underplaying the social damage caused by meth, but there should be a scientific basis for what are acceptable levels of meth in the current New Zealand context; and remediation of houses should be proportional to the established health risks.

“The report is a comprehensive, up-to-date and plain English understanding about the risks of meth exposure for people living in houses where meth was manufactured, and for those in which meth was smoked,” Phil Twyford says.

Sir Peter’s report found that remediation according to the NZS 8510: 2017 standard is appropriate only for identified former meth labs and properties where heavy meth use has been determined.

Along with NZS 8510: 2017, it will contribute to any regulations that may be made under the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (No 2), soon to have its second reading in the House.

“I expect, pending Cabinet agreement, that there will be a public consultation document on meth regulations later this year,” Phil Twyford says.

The report can be found at: http://www.pmcsa.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Methamphetamine-contamination-in-residential-properties.pdf

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eph

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#2024941 29-May-2018 15:52

This reminds me of the radon hysteria in Europe - but at least the meth tests are not compulsory yet (might come to that as well)...

UHD

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#2024944 29-May-2018 15:58

Any 'hysteria' around meth testing was as a result of the Ministry of Health not bothering to set an appropriate level to consider properties a hazard or not and simply adopting the numbers used for lab clean up overseas. This is just the government fixing a mess of its own creation and of course blaming industry for 'hysteria'.

Fred99

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#2024949 29-May-2018 16:03

eph:

This reminds me of the radon hysteria in Europe - but at least the meth tests are not compulsory yet (might come to that as well)...

Radon actually can be a real threat. (In some parts of Europe it appears that ground-floor readings are well in excess of WHO guidelines). I'm not sure if there was perhaps hysteria in places where levels were typically low.

If you read the above press release, the chance of meth tests (and huge cost of subsequent decontamination) being compulsory should be close to zero - unless the tenants were running a meth lab.

Rikkitic

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#2024950 29-May-2018 16:04

Just confirms what I already knew anyway.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

vexxxboy

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#2024952 29-May-2018 16:08

while i dont agree with everything , he raises some good points .

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12060698

Common sense is not as common as you think.

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afe66

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#2024953 29-May-2018 16:11

That would be the hysteria propagated by media such as nzherald, stuff, tv1+3 the....

tdgeek

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#2024958 29-May-2018 16:21

I dont see any hysteria. I see an issue that someone was concerned about, didnt bother to get real life information, and proclaimed it was a serious health hazard. Thats not hysteria, thats a mistake. So, the correct info has been found, and it BAU now. Just clean the place.

Fred99

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#2024989 29-May-2018 16:34

tdgeek:

I dont see any hysteria. I see an issue that someone was concerned about, didnt bother to get real life information, and proclaimed it was a serious health hazard. Thats not hysteria, thats a mistake. So, the correct info has been found, and it BAU now. Just clean the place.

I think if you read the "comments" section in this article:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/103662267/canterbury-mum-finds-out-her-house-is-contaminated-with-p-from-a-complete-stranger

There seemed to be a fair bit of hysteria going on.

kryptonjohn

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#2025005 29-May-2018 16:51

Jeez, in my ignorance I though the only safety issue with meth houses was where it was used as a lab. Seems obvious to me that having someone smoke in the place was hardly going to turn it toxic death trap.

tdgeek

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#2025007 29-May-2018 16:54

Fred99:

tdgeek:

I dont see any hysteria. I see an issue that someone was concerned about, didnt bother to get real life information, and proclaimed it was a serious health hazard. Thats not hysteria, thats a mistake. So, the correct info has been found, and it BAU now. Just clean the place.

I think if you read the "comments" section in this article:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/103662267/canterbury-mum-finds-out-her-house-is-contaminated-with-p-from-a-complete-stranger

There seemed to be a fair bit of hysteria going on.

Stuff comments! Thats hysteria the natural way. Yeah, nah. I go by the amount of news on it, every now and then there is a news item of someone affected by moving out. Thats all I see, infrequently. Not hysteria.

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MikeAqua

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#2025008 29-May-2018 16:54

The testing industry was very opportunist in relation to meth testing. I'm not sure the MoH can be directly blamed for that, but they could have responded and clarified a lot more rapidly, especially as at most desktop study was required.

I suspect Gluckman has commissioned this study specifically to make point about science not being used appropriately, as well as to underscore the usefulness of his office to the new govt.

Mike

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#2025040 29-May-2018 18:03

I seem to recall someone from Health saying that they were shouting as loud as they could that Housing were over-reacting but getting nowhere. The Minister of Health at the time wasn't known for overworking himself.

thecatsgoolies

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#2025055 29-May-2018 19:15

It's a big business now and some companies are not going to be pleased with this news!

tdgeek

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#2025056 29-May-2018 19:17

thecatsgoolies:

It's a big business now and some companies are not going to be pleased with this news!

I saw that. We find now meth isn't much of an issue, mould is much worse. The meth cleaners are now up in arms, contradicting the evidence, as there is apparently no evidence.

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