While many people know the dangers of contamination after methamphetamine has been cooked and/or manufactured in a space, not as many know how contamination can linger even after meth has been smoked in a place. In fact, it seems to be a commonly believed myth that simply smoking meth in a home or space doesn’t contaminate it, but the reality is that there are still dangers to being in a space that has not been properly decontaminated after someone smoked meth there.
With the major increase in Mexican Meth coming up through the border into southern states like Louisiana, it’s more important than ever that awareness around this topic spreads. Here are the facts behind how homes can become contaminated after smoking meth.
Exposure to meth is enough to contaminate
A residential real property can be exposed to methamphetamine by people who use or manufacture the drug there. This means that you don’t need to “cook” the drug in the residence to contaminate the space but simply using the drug in any form, especially frequently, could post a hazard. The contamination of a space due to meth use is hard to detect as toxins are undetectable by visual inspection. These toxins can spread to furnishings, fabrics, surfaces, and even personal possessions after exposure and the risk of extreme contamination increases with each subsequent use.
Meth use is on the rise
Almost 1% of the population in the US, 12 or older, reported using methamphetamine in 2020, therefore the contamination of residential homes is becoming increasingly more alarming and should be a significant concern to public health. Not only does the drug have serious side effects like difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and high blood pressure, but a space contaminated by meth exposure can pose additional hazards like migraines, respiratory problems, and skin reactions.
How toxins can be ingested
The toxins emitted when cooking or smoking meth can be inhaled in, absorbed through the skin, and even ingested. These dangers can extend outside of the space when the drug waste is dumped outside, burned, or poured down a drain.
Getting professional help
It’s important to note that there is no safe physical contact with a meth manufacturing location or a frequently exposed meth location due to smoking and usage until after a biohazard company has decontaminated the entire area both inside and out. Your safety is a priority and if you feel you may be living in a home that was once a meth lab or has been the location of frequent meth usage it’s important to seek professional help.
Biohazard cleaning companies like Xtreme Cleaners are trained in handling sensitive situations and contaminated environments with care. We have a comprehensive process for assessing the biohazard impacts and damages caused by a lab or over exposure to meth and performing the decontamination work to restore a home to a habitable condition. For more information and to learn how we can help, give us a call today at 1-800-524-9591.
