PEHSU Consultation Activities and Referrals > Comment "Re: R10 Meth Inquiry Help Requested"
by Carrie Dickenson, posted on Mar 16, 2016
| R10 PEHSU has receive a meth inquiry from a R10 medical toxicologist. A parent has asked if it is safe for her two children (no symptoms) to continue to spend 50% time at her ex-spouse’s home where meth has been smoked by a roommate in one bedroom in the home. The dad confirmed meth was smoked and the roommate has been evicted. No info provided on ages of children. As a reminder meth is absorbed through the skin. There is an established surface (wipe sample) reference value. In WA state there are clear guidelines for meth labs re surface testing, but meth smoking is a gray area. Yrs ago we had a PEHSU case where a home was invaded, law enforcement found evidence of meth smoking and recommended surface testing, and the results exceeded the reference value. The home required decontamination. In this case, the roommate purportedly lived in the home only a few months, but we have no info on the intensity of meth use (including possibility of visitors also using meth). The question is should home surfaces be tested for meth in areas of the home where the children will spend time? Your thoughts or any surface sampling guidance from your state regs would be appreciated. Please contact: Nancy Beaudet: 206-221-5932 beaudet@uw.edu |
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by Perry Sheffield, posted on Mar 16, 2016
| Hi Nancy, Our unit hasn't gotten any related calls, yet. However, this issue seems to be of major national importance. EPA, like WA, has guidance for clean up of spaces where meth has been "cooked". Link pasted below. There is a short section in this document that talks about potential contamination by smoking alone but, as you said, there's some grey area and extent of clean up would be based on first confirming that it was just smoking of meth, not other activities, and then knowing more details of duration and amount of meth smoked. Removal or encapsulation of porous surfaces seems advisable if possible. Interesting we've encountered similar grey areas about what extent of cleaning is evidence based to reduce exposures in advising families when the issue is environmental tobacco smoke and also post-house fire with smoke damage. Keep us posted! https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response/voluntary-guidelines-methamphetamine-laboratory-cleanup Carrie Dickenson wrote: >R10 PEHSU has receive a meth inquiry from a R10 medical toxicologist. A parent has asked if it is safe for her two children (no symptoms) to continue to spend 50% time at her ex-spouse’s home where meth has been smoked by a roommate in one bedroom in the home. The dad confirmed meth was smoked and the roommate has been evicted. No info provided on ages of children. As a reminder meth is absorbed through the skin. There is an established surface (wipe sample) reference value.
> >In WA state there are clear guidelines for meth labs re surface testing, but meth smoking is a gray area. Yrs ago we had a PEHSU case where a home was invaded, law enforcement found evidence of meth smoking and recommended surface testing, and the results exceeded the reference value. The home required decontamination. In this case, the roommate purportedly lived in the home only a few months, but we have no info on the intensity of meth use (including possibility of visitors also using meth). > >The question is should home surfaces be tested for meth in areas of the home where the children will spend time? Your thoughts or any surface sampling guidance from your state regs would be appreciated. > >Please contact: > >Nancy Beaudet: >206-221-5932 >beaudet@uw.edu |
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