New laws to ensure clandestine drug labs are cleaned of toxins
HEALTH and council workers have been given powers to ensure properties used as clandestine drug laboratories are made free of toxic chemicals.
HEALTH and council workers have been given powers to ensure properties used as clandestine drug laboratories are free of toxic chemicals before more people move in.
New laws gazetted today follow research by Flinders University public health researcher Jackie Wright showing houses used as makeshift drug labs have methamphetamine levels up to 40 times the acceptable level.
In a recent case in Victoria, a boy, 6, was found with the same levels of methamphetamine in his system as an adult drug abuser after his family unwittingly bought a $500,000 rural property that had been used as a drug lab. A year after the family moved in, tests showed the house had methamphetamine readings up to 40 times the acceptable level and they are now suing the council, which they allege didn’t reveal the previous owners had been ordered to clean up after police found drug-making equipment.
In 2014-15, 744 clandestine drug laboratories were reported across Australia, including 67 in SA. Toxic chemicals used in drug manufacture can contaminate buildings, furniture, soil, water and air.
Health Minister Jack Snelling moved to change the law to give new powers to public health authorities and council workers to ensure such premises are cleaned to a point they were safe for human habitation. “Even after they’ve been shut down, clandestine drug labs pose a serious threat to the community from the toxic chemicals left behind,” he said.
“No matter where a drug lab is located, whether it’s in commercial premises, private rental accommodation, public housing or hotels and caravan parks, there are ongoing risks from the chemicals involved in drug manufacturing.
“The new policy and guidelines will protect (people) from contamination generated by the manufacturing of drugs and provide a clearer process for public health authorities to require the assessment and remediation of properties.”
SA Health’s Dr Chris Lease said a variety of chemicals and toxins were involved in the drug-making process, which meant there was a risk of residual contamination.