Is your home contaminated with meth? 64 per cent of houses tested are riddled with traces of ice
- Disturbing number of properties are testing positive for residue from drug ice
- Sydney-based testing company reported 64 per cent of homes tested positive
- Cautious homeowners are now ordering tests before committing to a property
A disturbing number of properties are testing positive for residue from the drug ice, fueling panic from homeowners and renters.
Sydney-based testing company, Meth Screen, reported 64 per cent of the homes it had tested recorded positive results since January 2018.
In many cases, it is believed homes became contaminated by previous tenants using or making the drug.
A disturbing number of properties are testing positive for residue from the drug ice, fueling panic from homeowners and renters
Fears have been growing over the possible detrimental affects the chemicals found in the contaminated properties can have, which has seen the screening industry begin to boom in Australia
Methamphetamine, known as ice in Australia, is a highly addictive drug that has spread across the country in the last decade.
Living in contaminated homes can pose long-term health risks, including neurological damage, irritation, and kidney failure and damage.
In addition, inhaling or ingesting chemicals used in the drug's production can be dangerous.
Share this article
Cautious homeowners are now ordering tests before committing to a property, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Joyce Timtim told the newspaper she had ordered a test before buying her first home as she wanted the home to be as safe as possible.
'It's not just for health reasons, financially if it tested positive and you had to do a lot of fixing up it would be a financial drain.'
As part of the testing process company's swab a 100sq/cm surface of a home and send those away to be tested for chemicals.
A positive result can result in homeowners being slogged with hefty bills to have their properties decontaminated
A home that has more than 0.5 micrograms of the drug is considered a health risk under federal guidelines.
A positive result can result in homeowners being slogged with hefty bills to have their properties decontaminated.
Calls have been made for the government to consider making meth testing mandatory for rental properties.
However, Property Owners Association of NSW has pushed back and would prefer that any known drug history in the home is shared instead.
Meth testing is a contentious issue as the science behind the tests has long been disputed.
Meth hysteria erupted in New Zealand about two years ago, and sparked a national debate after a large number of tenants were evicted when small traces were found.
A report by New Zealand's chief science adviser found testing was not needed in most cases at the health risk was so low.
Professor Sir Peter Gluckman's report found there were other things in homes that posed a greater risk than meth, such as mold.
