METHFACT SHEET

WHAT IS METH?

Methamphetamine (P, ice, meth or crystal

meth) is a highly addictive stimulant drug

that affects the central nervous system. It is

a white, odourless, bitter tasting, crystalline

powder that is produced by cooking

chemicals in a “clan lab”.

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WHAT IS A CLAN LAB?A clan (clandestine) lab is a makeshift laboratory for the manufacture of illicit

drugs. The most common drug produced in clan labs is P/meth/ice. Clan labs can

be easily set up in a residential property, commercial property or motel unit, and

only require access to running water and a power source.

It is estimated that a clan lab producing one kilogram of P/meth/ice creates

seven kilograms of toxic by-product (P/meth/ice pollution), contaminating the

property with residue containing carcinogens.

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WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS?

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TOXIC VAPOUR.

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Exposure to P/meth/ice residues

can create significant short

and long-term health risks.

Meth’s toxic vapours permeate

the property surfaces and those

exposed to these surfaces can

ingest the contaminants.

Babies and small children

exposed to the toxic by-products

tend to suffer a higher degree

of health issues. The safety of

you, your family or your clients

is paramount.

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ADDRESSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

Save yourself a whole lot of heartache.

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Adherence to the Standard within

the industry is voluntary

A cut off of 1.5 µg/100cm2 in high

use areas (areas of a property

frequently used by people) based

on an individual sample

A cut off of 3.8 µg/100cm2 in

limited use areas (i.e roof spaces

and crawl spaces) based on an

individual sample

If the level of meth detected in

any one high use area exceeds

1.5 µg/100cm2, professional

decontamination is required

A requirement to achieve an

NZQA qualification to be able to

carry out certain sampling

(the training framework is yet to

be developed)

A requirement to achieve

accreditation to be able to

carry out certain sampling

(the accreditation framework is

yet to be developed)

The creation of a validation

process for on site testing devices

In June 2017 Standards New Zealand released the NZS 8510:2017 Standard - Testing and decontamination of

methamphetamine-contaminated properties.

Some of the main points within this Standard include:

Are there any guidelines relating to meth in properties?

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PEACE OF MIND

WHEN YOU

NEED IT.

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PRE-PURCHASE: To identify if the property contains

P/meth/ice contamination before

you purchase

PRE/POST-OCCUPANCY: To provide a clear baseline

prior to a tenant moving in or out

of your property

MID-OCCUPANCY: To ensure your property doesn’t

become affected by meth

contamination during the tenancy

CUSTOMISED: To suit the client’s needs (including

vehicles, caravans, individual

rooms etc)

A property methamphetamine test can provide valuable baseline information for a number of circumstances

including due diligence; bank and/or insurance requirements.

When should I get a property tested?

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HOW CAN TDDA ASSIST YOU?Not all property meth testing is created equal. The Drug Detection Agency’s

(TDDA) property methamphetamine inspection services are designed to ensure

the best information is available when needed.

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Testing OptionsCan Detect

Meth

Can Detect Meth to Low

Levels

NIOSH 9111 Compliant

NZS 8510 Standard Compliant

Service Offered by TDDA

On-site Kits Only if validated by the NZS 8510

process

Field Composite (Indicative Wipe)

Lab Composite Analysis

Lab Individual Swab Analysis

Testing Options

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TIER 1:

• Is compliant with the NZS 8510 Standard

• Is compliant with NIOSH 9111 collection method

• Has analysis carried out by an IANZ

accredited lab

• Provides the best information for each individual

site swabbed

• Provides a result that can be compared with the

NZS 8510 Standard limit

• Can report on very low levels of meth present

• Individual swabs are collected from specific,

identified areas within the property and sent to

an IANZ accredited lab

• Each swab is individually analysed by the lab.

The reported results are for each individual

swab, providing the highest level of information

to the client

This service provides the most complete information on meth contamination levels of the areas swabbed within a property. This method:

Lab Individual Swab Analysis

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TIER 2:

• Is compliant with the NZS 8510 Standard

• Is compliant with NIOSH 9111 collection method

• Has analysis carried out by an IANZ accredited lab

• Provides a result that can be compared with the

NZS 8510 Standard limit

• Individual swabs are collected from specific,

identified areas within the property and sent to

an IANZ accredited lab

• Can report on very low levels of meth present

• The lab combines the swabs to create a

composite analysis. This analysis represents an

average concentration of methamphetamine

• If the result does indicate a positive analysis, TDDA

can then arrange Lab Individual Swab Analysis at

your request

This service provides an average concentration reading of meth of the areas swabbed within a property. This method:

Lab Composite Analysis

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TIER 3:

• Is compliant with the NZS 8510 Standard

• Has analysis carried out by an IANZ accredited lab

• Provides a result that can be compared with the

NZS 8510 Standard limits

• A sample is comprised of multiple wipe samples

collected from seperate locations but analysed as

a single sample

• Can report on very low levels of meth present

• A field Composite sample analysis represents

a sum or accumulation of each of the

individual wipes

• If the result does indicate a positive analysis, TDDA

can then arrange a more detailed inspection at

your request

This service provides a simple indication as to whether meth is present in a property or not.

Field composite analysis

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When you deal with TDDA you

can be confident you are

getting services that offer true

national coverage, superior

methodology, knowledgeable

people who genuinely care

about what they do and

internationally recognised

standards of quality. TDDA hold

accreditations for drug testing in

both New Zealand and Australia

and apply the same high level of

service and expertise to their

property methamphetamine

inspection services.

WHY USE TDDA?

When it comes to drugs – TDDA are the experts

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Contact TDDA today to discuss a service that best suits your needs.

www.tdda.com | 0508 DRUGTEST

Download TDDA’s smartphone family & property drug awareness app by searching “The Drug Detection App Family/Property” on your app store today