How Dangerous Is Second-Hand Meth?

    You tell me if all this is fair:

   When health officials believe a home might be contaminated by methamphetamine smoke, they shut it down for cleaning. The property owner pays the bill. It might be the owner was not aware of the meth use, but it is he or she who must pay for the cleanup, not the meth user.

  You might suggest that is fair, for the cleanup is not a punishment for crime, but is done just to make the place clean to live in. The homeowner simply should not be allowed to rent an unsafe dwelling.

  So, how harmful is the air?

   There have not been as many studies on the damages from second-hand meth smoke as there have for marijuana and tobacco, yet it is the meth houses that are shut down, not the marijuana and tobacco homes. Second-hand tobacco is certainly harmful. Is it more harmful than methamphetamine?  

  Second-hand meth smoke causes nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, mental confusion, and breathing difficulties. Are those conditions enough to warrant shutting the home down and charging the property owner $10,000 to clean it up? Do we even ask the second-hand users if they are experiencing such symptoms before we jump to shut the place down? Do we send anyone to the doctor to help determine if they are infected?

 Catching a cold from living in the same home as someone with a cold can also cause some of those things caused by second-hand meth fumes. Do we shut the homes when people get colds? I do not say second-hand meth smoke is no more harmful than breathing air from those who are infected with colds, but, yes, I wonder where you draw the line. 

  When meth homes are condemned, health officials suggest the clothes and fabric chairs and couches must be thrown away. The carpeting must be thrown out. The walls must be cleaned and rinsed three times, and, no, soap and water will not work, nor is baking soda and vinegar strong enough. Well, some suggest baking soda and vinegar might work, but only if you applied them like 30 times. No, very expensive chemicals must be brought in to do the cleaning.

  Now, it is the air that is breathed that is harmful. Do the particles in clothing and couches discharge into the air in sufficient amounts that they are dangerous? Just asking -- and it is a question that should be asked. Could we just wash our clothes three times, steam-clean our carpets three times, maybe using the special chemicals?

  Would it be enough if we were to just air the place out thoroughly, clean the air conditioner and heater and say it is good to go? Just open the windows and turn on a big fan. I don't know, I'm just asking. Throwing away most everything a person owns seems a little drastic and should be avoided if it is overkill.