Can you please tell me what kinds of signs we should look for to determine if our home was used as a meth lab? What kinds of smells? We have three rental properties as well. We rented out the home we live in now for about a year. When we came back, it looked as if tape had been put on all of the heat ducts. It also looked as if the carpeting had been removed, then put back down. How do we test? Who do we call?
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"The last couple of years, the trend for methamphetamine labs in Virginia has doubled." ~ James Gregorius, DEA's assistant special agent for Virginia
"In the state of Missouri right now, a box of pseudoephedrine is sold every 16 seconds, you cannot tell me there is that many sick people in the state of Missouri." ~ Jason Grellner, President of the Missouri Narcotics Association and Unit Commander of the Franklin County Narcotics Unit
"Every day that goes before our state legislature can meet to decide whether or not to require a prescription to purchase these drugs means the threat of rolling meth labs being driven around our neighborhood streets, not to mention children going to bed with highly-volatile explosives in their homes."~ Rick Davis, Evansville Indiana mayoral candidate
"Do we want to invest in ensuring that we have healthy brains and we're providing health care for mental illness and addiction, both of which are diseases? Or do we want to incarcerate people for having diseases of the brain, particularly talking about nonviolent offenders, knowing that is by far more expensive, knowing that is far less effective than providing treatment in the first place." ~ Teri White, Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
"Chemical residues and lab wastes that are left behind at a former meth lab can have similar health problems for people who use the property. Unsuspecting people can touch residues of meth and have symptoms similar to those experienced by meth users. At a minimum, all people entering a building or an area that was a former meth lab should wear protective eye, hand and foot covering. Disposable gloves (e.g. latex or nitrile) and a disposable protective jumpsuit (e.g. Tyvek) are recommended. If toxic fumes or vapors are suspected, only trained professionals should enter and clean the building with appropriate safety equipment.". ~ Wyoming Department of Health
"Anytime you have these methamphetamine labs, they are, for lack of a better term, miniature bombs.They are highly explosive and the exposure alone, just with the chemicals present, can cause serious illness or death." Chris Cohron, Warren County KY Commonwealth Attorney
“The suits protect us from the chemicals. It’s all toxic, and we have to treat it like toxic waste.” ~ Sgt. Jackie Smith, Houston County Sheriff’s Narcotics supervisor
“(Methamphetamine use and manufacture) has exploded in monstrous proportions here and throughout the state. It’s time to get something done about this.” ~ Michigan State Rep. Matt Lori, R-Constantine
"We have seen a huge, huge decline in meth crimes and labs” since enactment of the prescription-only law ~ Ryan Harper, a pharmacist in Brandon Mississippi, population 50,000.
"Exposure to low levels of some meth ingredients may may produce headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue; exposure to high levels can produce shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, dizziness, lack of coordination, eye and tissue irritation, chemical burns (to the skin, eyes, mouth, and nose), and death. Corrosive substances may cause injury through inhalation or contact with the skin. Solvents can irritate the skin, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract and affect the central nervous system. Chronic exposure to the chemicals typically used in meth manufacture may cause cancer; damage the brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and immunologic system; and result in birth defects. Normal cleaning will not remove methamphetamine and some of the chemicals used to produce it. They may remain on eating and cooking utensils, floors, countertops, and absorbent materials. Toxic byproducts of meth manufacturing are often improperly disposed outdoors, endangering children and others who live, eat, play, or walk at or near the site." ~John Martyny, Associate Professor and industrial hygienist at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center
"We’ve seen an alarming and a troubling increase across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions over the past year in the incidents of addiction, violence and tragedy that are the by-products of rampant methamphetamine production and use. The officers of the Southern Tier Methamphetamine Task Force continue to do outstanding work to protect our communities and I’m hopeful that these tougher new laws will help in the prosecution and punishment of meth crimes. We can’t sit back and allow our region or anywhere else in New York State to serve as a safe harbor for meth labs, meth addicts or meth pushers. The risks are too great and the consequences too overwhelming for the safety of our neighborhoods, our police officers and our first responders, to say nothing of local systems of health care, criminal justice and social services.” ~ NY State Senator Thomas F. O'Mara, (R, C) 53rd Senate District"
"In the state of Missouri right now, a box of pseudoephedrine is sold every 16 seconds, you cannot tell me there is that many sick people in the state of Missouri." ~ Jason Grellner, President of the Missouri Narcotics Association and Unit Commander of the Franklin County Narcotics Unit
"Every day that goes before our state legislature can meet to decide whether or not to require a prescription to purchase these drugs means the threat of rolling meth labs being driven around our neighborhood streets, not to mention children going to bed with highly-volatile explosives in their homes."~ Rick Davis, Evansville Indiana mayoral candidate
"Do we want to invest in ensuring that we have healthy brains and we're providing health care for mental illness and addiction, both of which are diseases? Or do we want to incarcerate people for having diseases of the brain, particularly talking about nonviolent offenders, knowing that is by far more expensive, knowing that is far less effective than providing treatment in the first place." ~ Teri White, Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
"Chemical residues and lab wastes that are left behind at a former meth lab can have similar health problems for people who use the property. Unsuspecting people can touch residues of meth and have symptoms similar to those experienced by meth users. At a minimum, all people entering a building or an area that was a former meth lab should wear protective eye, hand and foot covering. Disposable gloves (e.g. latex or nitrile) and a disposable protective jumpsuit (e.g. Tyvek) are recommended. If toxic fumes or vapors are suspected, only trained professionals should enter and clean the building with appropriate safety equipment.". ~ Wyoming Department of Health
"Anytime you have these methamphetamine labs, they are, for lack of a better term, miniature bombs.They are highly explosive and the exposure alone, just with the chemicals present, can cause serious illness or death." Chris Cohron, Warren County KY Commonwealth Attorney
“The suits protect us from the chemicals. It’s all toxic, and we have to treat it like toxic waste.” ~ Sgt. Jackie Smith, Houston County Sheriff’s Narcotics supervisor
“(Methamphetamine use and manufacture) has exploded in monstrous proportions here and throughout the state. It’s time to get something done about this.” ~ Michigan State Rep. Matt Lori, R-Constantine
"We have seen a huge, huge decline in meth crimes and labs” since enactment of the prescription-only law ~ Ryan Harper, a pharmacist in Brandon Mississippi, population 50,000.
"Exposure to low levels of some meth ingredients may may produce headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue; exposure to high levels can produce shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, dizziness, lack of coordination, eye and tissue irritation, chemical burns (to the skin, eyes, mouth, and nose), and death. Corrosive substances may cause injury through inhalation or contact with the skin. Solvents can irritate the skin, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract and affect the central nervous system. Chronic exposure to the chemicals typically used in meth manufacture may cause cancer; damage the brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and immunologic system; and result in birth defects. Normal cleaning will not remove methamphetamine and some of the chemicals used to produce it. They may remain on eating and cooking utensils, floors, countertops, and absorbent materials. Toxic byproducts of meth manufacturing are often improperly disposed outdoors, endangering children and others who live, eat, play, or walk at or near the site." ~John Martyny, Associate Professor and industrial hygienist at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center
"We’ve seen an alarming and a troubling increase across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions over the past year in the incidents of addiction, violence and tragedy that are the by-products of rampant methamphetamine production and use. The officers of the Southern Tier Methamphetamine Task Force continue to do outstanding work to protect our communities and I’m hopeful that these tougher new laws will help in the prosecution and punishment of meth crimes. We can’t sit back and allow our region or anywhere else in New York State to serve as a safe harbor for meth labs, meth addicts or meth pushers. The risks are too great and the consequences too overwhelming for the safety of our neighborhoods, our police officers and our first responders, to say nothing of local systems of health care, criminal justice and social services.” ~ NY State Senator Thomas F. O'Mara, (R, C) 53rd Senate District"
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Your home may have been used as a meth lab. The tape over the heating ducts is used to prevent fumes produced during manufacture from traveling out of the ‘cook’ area, and contaminating other areas of the house. Likewise, the carpet would be contaminated if not removed. Problem is, the chemicals used to produce meth are far deadlier than the meth itself, and your floor under the carpet is probably laden with chemicals which need to be removed. A call to your local police can perhaps help if they have a dedicated meth team. If not, call the DEA who will be of some help in guiding you to identify if meth was a problem for your home or not.
Determining whether or not a property has been used as a meth lab starts by listening to your gut instincts. Your questions are good ones! Why would someone put tape on heat ducts? Why would they remove carpet and then put it back down again? Anytime, you see something that appears weird, strange, or out-of-the-ordinary, you should ask yourself “why would someone do that”?
Are what you’ve described signs that your renter made meth in your home? Maybe. Maybe not. The only sure way to know if someone made meth is to test the home for meth and meth making chemicals. You may want to take a look at some of the meth lab signs that I have posted on this site. It is certainly not a full list of every sign associated with meth labs, however it may help you learn more about what you should look for, especially since you rent out property.
There are free meth wipe testing services available which can tell you if any surfaces in your home contain meth residue, although choosing the right location to test if it was a meth lab is important. For example, you could test a wall in one room or two rooms and the results may come back as negative. Yet, if you have tested in another room or another location in that room, the test may come back positive for meth residue. Whether a test comes back positive or negative depends on alot of factors. Doing some free meth wipe testing should only be considered to be a pre-test! Definitive testing should always be done by a professional testing company. Your local health department should be able to provide you with a list of certified meth lab contractors in your area.
Thanks for bringing up some great questions. Good luck to you. I hope it all turns out well!