In New Zealand, it’s estimated there are about 40,000 regular or semi-regular meth users, but because it has such a stigma it’s hard to get a good gauge on numbers.


And that stigma contributes to the fact users will wait between five and 10 years to admit they have a problem, and seek help.

Source 

What does that mean for you as a property owner, potential purchaser or renter? It means that there may be undisclosed and hidden contamination within the property you are looking at. 

Meth is one of those "invisible damages" that you don't see in a property. Mould, leaks, asbestos and other invisible contaminants are often only looked for once a "sign" has been seen. 

Meth manufacture or use signs can be physical, such as staining or corrosion. They can be social, such as a neighbour noticing closed off curtains, or taped up tarpaulins, or a funny smell. But more often than not, there are no signs and the meth use is hidden. 

And methamphetamine has one of the worst stigmas of all the drugs of choice (not that meth is often a choice).  Meth users in movies are tweakers, junkies, thieves and violent, with no thought for the consequences of their actions. And sadly, in this instance, art imitates life. 

Our clients tell us stories of how their sons or daughters or even husbands or wives stole from them, took money from them, sold their belongings, pawned jewellery, sold the family pets even, just to get their next hit. 

The drug is insidious, horrifying, soul destroying and above all, it's downright evil. 

It makes those who are addicted do evil acts to those around them as they "chase" their next fix, their next hit of the drug. 

Worse still, it can be weeks or even years until a loved one recognises that the user is addicted since they tend to hide their addition due to the stigma attached to it. 

One of our clients had a husband who used to smoke meth in his gym room at home. I say "had" a husband because he lied and stole his way through their savings as his addiction grew and grew.  He used meth whilst working out in the gym room at home and when she eventually found out, it was too late to save their marriage, and their future. 

When we tested the property, we found levels far in excess of the limit in the gym room and the contamination has spread by way of gas expansion throughout the property. They had kids in the house too. 

This is a sad tale repeated with different actors and scripts all over our nation right now, and it's only getting worse. 

Open conversation and community can help reduce the stigma and fears associated with meth addiction, but it always requires someone to take the first step towards recovery.

And that first step is often the hardest one. 

Almost a third of middle-aged New Zealanders have tried methamphetamine at least once, according to a new University of Otago, Christchurch study.


The study, the first of its kind to draw a correlation between meth use and violence, has found even those who try meth once are 60 per cent more likely to be involved in a violent incident. 


They surveyed more than 1000 people in their 40s and discovered if they've used meth, they're five times more likely to be violent and twice as likely to be a victim of violence.

Source 

Whoa, whoa whoa!  Hold your horses... We're middle aged ... and we have NEVER EVER TRIED METH!

Yeah, ok, so there's background, social situation, income, and a boat load of other factors that go into play as to why you would or wouldn't try meth. 

We know of friends sons and daughters, lawyers, doctors, nurses, truckers, retail workers, office workers, and even people that go to church (yep!) that have become addicted. Some have gotten help, and for others it's been a decade battle against it. 

We hear from our clients that their friends, that their sons and daughters and work colleagues are "trying the stuff and getting hooked."

So when the article says "a third" it's a 1000 person survey only, to our mind it seems accurate.  

What does this mean for contamination levels? Sadly, the answer is simple; the number of users in NZ increases, the number of contaminated dwellings increases.

Meth Testing is the only way to know and make sure you test with someone qualified, like us!  

Australia Law Enforcement have seized a record-breaking haul of methamphetamine worth $820 million, hidden inside stereo speakers shipped from Thailand. The bust of 1.596 metric tons of meth – the largest haul on record in the country to date – worth almost 1.2 billion Australian dollars ($1.3 billion NZD).

A further 37 kilograms (37.4 pounds) of heroin worth 18.5 million Australian dollars ($20 million NZD) was also seized. The drugs were found concealed inside stereo speakers at several locations. 

​Source - 05/12/2019

Oh look, as we said in our last blog, "Another Record Broken!"

And in news more local:

Two people have been charged in a Porirua drug bust which saw $400,000 worth of methamphetamine seized by police.


About 5,000 street doses or 500 grams of the drug were found at a Porirua address about 9pm on Thursday 12 December, police say.

Pitance in relation to the Aussie bust, but still a reduction in the amount of this insidious drug on the streets and in our community.  

​Source 

Sadly it seems that every week we have a new bust or a "new record broken" or a more waste water analysis showing an increase. 

Interestingly, the price per gram in NZ has come down, making it more accessible to users. The price of a gram of methamphetamine decreased from $788 in 2014 to $620 in 2016 to $500 in 2019.

Source
Source


The consistently reducing cost does not make for good reading for future housing contamination. It means it costs less and one of the only things holding people back from consistent use was the exorbitant cost of meth. 

Perhaps this has been the cause of the consistent increase year in year out that we see in the level of contaminated properties?  

Remember, how do you know if your property has contamination?  

You get it tested, with the best meth testing company. Meth Xpert NZ Ltd.

A shipment of nearly 100kg of methamphetamine was the largest in New Zealand history for around 10 years. In the first eight months of 2019, Customs and police have stopped four bigger smuggling attempts, including one of 469kg inside electric motors. For the first time, more than 1000kg of the drug has been seized in a year - and there's still four months to go.

More methamphetamine has been seized in New Zealand so far this year than any other. Customs have already stopped 1087kg of the Class-A drug at the border and there is still three months to go!

Source 

A record breaking year!  And not for any sort of record we can be proud of. 

This is not a record that should go in the record books. 

This is not a record that we should even be talking about. Where are the "Another record year for no drug crime!" reports?  Where are the "Another record breaks with no meth manufactured in NZ for two years in a row!?"?  Right?!?

Yeah. Those records don't exist. And never will unless much more is done by those in charge of our country and law enforcement. Sadly, they simply lack the resources. 

New Zealand has 289 officers for every 100,000 people. That's not a lot when you look at the US with 422, Italy with 456, Russia with 525 and Argentina with 798. (From a 2006 analysis by the United Nations)

​Essentially, a lack of Human Resources to prevent a human driven problem means that we may never get on top of it until we increase that resource, and it seems that resource is decreasing rather than increasing.

Does this mean in years to come this "record" will be broken again and again. 

We hope not, but let's wait and see. Until then, you know how you detect for contamination in your home?  You get it tested.  With us. 

Two men have pled innocent after allegedly attempting to smuggle 110kg of methamphetamine and two handguns into New Zealand inside golf cart batteries.


The large quantity of "ice-like" methamphetamine has a street value of about $55 million and the seizure stopped an estimated $136.3m of social harm to the country, according to the NZ Drug Harm 

Source

And whilst we could make the standard jokes about "how fast does a golf cart on meth go?" there's nothing funny about drugs. 

$55 million in meth (110 kg) is enough to fuel every drug user in the country for nearly two months.  Methamphetamine remains the most commonly detected illicit drug nationwide, with approximately 16kgs consumed on average each week.

​Source: National Wastewater Testing Programme Q1, 2019. 

It's concerning to think that this one, perceptibly huge meth bust, is only a couple of months worth of the stuff off the streets. 

It's even more concerning to note that we only seize (catch) a small amount of imported meth.  With the global meth trade booming and only increasing, the volumes will continue to increase. 

325 Tonnes of meth was seized globally in 2019 so the 120kg in the gold carts is a literal "drop in the bucket" of the meth trade.  

Source
​  

Meth use is only increasing, which means meth manufacture is increasing. Are you testing your properties?  There is massive risk in the housing industry and a failure to test will not be reward by your insurance company. 

Give us a call, we will talk you through your options.  ​

Meth, weighing half a tonne, was hidden inside a shipping container of automotive parts which had  travelled from Malaysia, two male teenagers were arrested.

Source

$387,000,000.

That's a lot of zeros.

99% of the population won't ever see that much money in their bank accounts over lifetime of work.  The average earning is $3 million over a lifetime.  And you would think that $387 million is a loss for these drug kings and queens.  

Yet these drug dealers and suppliers have access to this level of funds almost consistently. Law enforcement simply doesn't "catch" enough to impact the supply chain to close it down.  It can be made locally, or it can be "shipped over" like the article says.  

They keep making more and more money at the expense of our society and impacting quality of life detrimentally.

Meth demand is at an all time high, and sadly, suppliers WILL meet that demand. Drug users inevitably use more, and suppliers supply more to meet their usage needs. That's the viscous drug cycle. 

 And whilst this all sounds like doom and gloom, every seizure makes an impact. The suppliers have to make more to meet the demand, costing them, the drug war continues. Not sure who will win, but the impact on our homes and loved ones continues to grow, especially with that many zeros being available to the opposition. (sigh)

As  a property contamination detection company we are often contacted by people wanting to know about the effects of meth smoke on them from 2nd hand smoking.

Note that this is different from a house that has contamination from historic or even recent drug use or manufacture. This blog is talking about being in the presence of a drug user and a cloud of meth smoke (gas).

The fact is that up to 90% of the chemicals contained in the meth users inhalation is retrained by their body upon exhalation. You, in the 2nd hand smoke, are receiving around 10% of the chemicals upon direct inhalation of their out breath.

This "cloud" of exhalation is dispersed rapidly as the product "cools, condenses and falls" meaning the gas, then forms microscopic liquid droplets which then harden into a crystal.   

So, to answer some of your questions surrounding this:

Can you get "high" off the cloud? - Yes, although reduced in its level of harmful drugs, the "cloud of meth" can still affect you. If you are in the presence of someone using meth, our advice is to leave.

What does this mean for your health? - Well, whilst you can "get high" off that smoke, the level varies just like drinking; one beer is too much for some, and it's ten beersies for others. So if you inhale enough of it, you will start to feel the effects.  However, unlike alcohol, meth use can be incredibly physiologically addictive. Any inhalation can result in a lifetime of addiction.  

Is direct inhalation dangerous? - Yes. You may have seen in the movies a "Shotgun" where the drug user inhales the drug, then "blows" it directly into another persons mouth whilst they inhale.  That is a direct attempt to "get high" and is portably not best practice if you come across a random drug user.  If you "stumble" across a room off meth smokers, your best bet is to leave as soon as you can and avoid deep inhalation.   

Will this get me addicted? - Possibly yes, it depends on the volume and your intentions. But direct inhalation of meth smoke is essentially drug use. Steer clear of it and leave if someone is using around you. 

Remember, this is about inhaling the "smoke" breathed out by a meth user, not about breathing in off gassing from a property that has contamination through meth use over time. Note that the difference between body types, smokers vs non-smokers, your personal level of medical wellness or health conditions and air quality (ventilation, etc) all play a role in determining how much smoke (gas) you will inhale just from regular breathing. 

You are not going to get addicted to meth use if you live in a house with meth contamination. The approach to contamination in New Zealand uses detection of methamphetamines and pre-cursor chemicals to determine the presence or absence of methamphetamines. But this is really about detecting high levels of substances that are hazardous to your health over time. Heavy Metals and Acids play a role in the production and subsequent gases produced by the manufacture of this drug embed themselves in the surfaces of the dwelling, clothing, furniture etc, overtime. 

These then off gas into your breathable air overtime potentially causing new health conditions and exacerbating existing ones. So rest assured that addiction from living in a meth house is not going to happen, but other, unforeseeable health conditions may occur from the absorption and inhalation of heavy metals and other chemicals from the manufacture and use of methamphetamines. 

A drug dealing mum of five has been jailed after what police say is the biggest meth bust in Wellington in 40 years.

They believed the ring was involved in the supply and distribution of about 20kg of meth.

​Click to read more. 

"Meth Mums" seems to be a topic of discussion right now. With the job market, government support and the economy as it is, some mothers are turning to drug dealing to support their families.

Of course, some are users of methamphetamines as well, meaning they are suppling their habit through this "job" but possessing and suppling large volumes of illicit substances with your kids in the house??  That's a new level of commitment to the drug trade we've not seen. 

The Meth trade continues to grow, with more and more becoming available in new and different ways, and having your local "mum on the corner" suppling into your local neighbourhood is good for the drug users, but abhorrent for the rest of us. 

Locally made "homegrown" (read: manufactured meth) is more and more prevalent these days and having "Mrs Smith at number 48 just down the road" become the local drug dealer is not good news for any community.

So why do they do it? Well, money, for one. For a second, necessity; That is, they may be being forced, coerced or blackmailed to do so. 

But also, they may not have enough to raise their family. Middle income families in NZ have always struggled to get ahead, and to some this may seem like a way to "get ahead" when in reality, the social harm is incomprehensible with the level of crime that occurs surrounding drug use, supply and manufacture.

There has to be a better way, but it is up to your society to begin to recognise and repair the pathways that can lead to these damaging acts and behaviour by individuals within our community.  

Ok. Let’s tackle a big issue.  Perhaps the biggest issue. So, in our line of work, we are in homes that have had a meth lab in it or in homes that has or have had meth users in it.  The sad part of our work is that those homes that we go into and find meth in, we also often find children.
 
Yep. Children. And Meth.  Together.
 
I remembered reading an article from November (2016) where a couple were injecting their children with heroin. Uh huh. Injecting their own children with heroin.
 
Whilst that’s not something you see everyday. For us, in our line of work, we see children living in drug contaminated conditions and therefore exposed to drugs all the time.
 
Meth is pervasive.  It contaminates everything it touches.  Every surface. It penetrates porous surfaces and ‘sticks’ to non-porous. It will remain in clothing, on carpets, on tables, chairs, couches, you name it, it’s on it. Children touching these surfaces then go onto eat food with meth on their hands, or, worse still, eat food that was directly exposed to meth vapour.  The P contamination can take a long time to go through their system and the damage done could be irreparable. ​