If you have just found out a home has a meth history, the first question is usually the right one: is this hurting anyone? The honest answer depends on how much residue there is and where it came from. This guide sets out what Australian and New Zealand health research says, who is most at risk, and what to do while you wait for a test.
General information only. If you are worried about your health or your child’s, talk to your GP.
Is meth residue dangerous? It depends on how much there is. Former meth labs carry real health risks, and Australian guidance names children aged six months to two years as the most exposed. For low-level smoking residue, the evidence of harm is limited. That’s why Australia sets a cautious 0.5 µg/100cm² guideline. Test before you assume either way.
Key takeaways
- The level and the source matter. Former labs are far higher risk than smoking residue.
- Toddlers are most exposed. Children aged six months to two years, according to enHealth.
- Pregnancy is a specific concern. enHealth notes methamphetamine crosses the placenta.
- Former-lab families report symptoms. Breathing problems and behavioural changes, especially in children.
- Smoking residue is less clear. New Zealand’s chief science advisor found no evidence of harm at typical levels, while noting that absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence.
Why the guideline is 0.5 µg/100cm²
Australia’s level was built to protect the most exposed person in a home: a toddler crawling on floors, touching walls and putting their hands in their mouth.
The enHealth guidance (2017) explains that the 0.5 figure comes from Wright (2009), using a “Reasonable Maximum Exposure” scenario and a tolerable daily intake of 0.3 µg per kilogram of body weight per day, which itself includes a safety factor of 300. It treats a reading above 0.5 as a “trigger for further, more specific/detailed, evaluation of risk”, not as proof someone will get sick.
That is the honest framing. 0.5 is deliberately cautious. Above it, something needs to happen. It isn’t the line where harm starts.
Who is most at risk
- Babies and toddlers, six months to two years. They are on the floor, touch everything, mouth their hands and toys, and are home most of the day. enHealth names them as the most exposed group.
- Pregnant women. enHealth notes methamphetamine “will cross the placental barrier and adversely impact on the developing foetus”.
- People who are elderly, frail or in poor health, who may not know the home’s history.
Reported symptoms
enHealth summarises case studies of families who lived in former meth labs. They “consistently reported” respiratory issues and behavioural changes, particularly in children, along with skin, eye, sleep and dizziness complaints. Children removed from homes where meth was manufactured showed behavioural issues, academic difficulties and developmental delay.
Two cautions matter here. These reports come mostly from former labs, not homes where meth was only smoked. And the symptoms are non-specific: headaches, sore eyes or poor sleep have many causes. They don’t prove contamination. A test does.
Smoking residue vs a former lab
What the research doesn’t know yet
Most of the health evidence comes from former labs and from people who used meth themselves. Long-term studies of children living with low-level smoking residue don’t exist yet.
- WA Health says data on “effects due to sustained low-dose exposure from third-hand environmental sources” is lacking.
- New Zealand’s 2018 chief science advisor report says “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”.
- Flinders University researchers found that methamphetamine moves from contaminated materials into the air, and that guidelines based on surface wipes alone may underestimate exposure. In one former lab, breathing it may have accounted for up to 20 percent of the children’s exposure.
That uncertainty is the reason for a cautious guideline, and the reason to test rather than guess.
If you are living in a property now and you are worried
- Get a laboratory test, not just a home kit. A kit says whether residue is there, not how much. Results take three to five business days. See meth testing in Australia.
- Until you have results, keep babies and toddlers off floors and away from walls in the rooms you are worried about. Wash hands and toys often. Don’t sand, drill or renovate.
- If you rent, raise it with your landlord or agent in writing. Your rights depend on your state’s tenancy laws and your lease.
- If anyone has symptoms, see your GP and tell them about the concern.
- If the test is over 0.5, decontamination and independent clearance testing come next. Ask whether the source was smoking or manufacture, because it changes the scope.
Frequently asked questions
What level of meth residue is safe in a house?
Australia’s guideline is 0.5 µg/100cm². At or below it, a home is considered suitable to live in. Above it, further assessment and usually decontamination are needed.
Is meth residue dangerous for children?
Children aged six months to two years are the most exposed group, which is why the guideline was built around them. Former labs carry the clearest risks. For low-level smoking residue, the evidence of harm is limited, but it hasn’t been ruled out.
What are the symptoms of meth exposure in a house?
People in former labs have reported breathing problems, skin and eye irritation, poor sleep, dizziness and, in children, behavioural changes. These symptoms have many causes, so they don’t prove contamination on their own.
Can you get sick from living in a house where meth was smoked?
The evidence of harm at typical smoking levels is limited. New Zealand’s chief science advisor found none, while noting research gaps. Levels vary a lot between properties, so test rather than assume.
Is meth residue dangerous during pregnancy?
Australian guidance notes that methamphetamine crosses the placenta. If you are pregnant and worried about a property, get it tested and talk to your doctor.
Should I move out?
If it was a former lab, or readings are well above 0.5, get advice straight away. Otherwise, test first so the decision is based on numbers.
Talk to an expert
Living in a property you are worried about, especially with young kids? Don’t guess. A laboratory test gives you real numbers in three to five business days, and until then the steps above reduce contact. Call 1800 00 10 10 any time, or book a test. AllAces, an IICRC Certified Firm, 24/7 in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Ballarat.
General information only, not medical advice. If you are concerned about your health or your child’s, speak to your GP.
Sources
- enHealth, Guidance on Clandestine Drug Laboratories and Public Health Risks (January 2017), pp. 4, 11 to 12, 14, 17, 19, 21 to 23, 26.
- Commonwealth, Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines (2011), section 5.2.4.
- WA Health, Methylamphetamine Smoke House Research Report.
- Bardsley A, Low F, Methamphetamine contamination in residential properties, Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, NZ (May 2018).
- Kuhn EJ et al., “Household Contamination with Methamphetamine: Knowledge and Uncertainties”, IJERPH (2019).
- Wright J et al., “Current practices underestimate environmental exposures to methamphetamine: inhalation exposures are important”, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (2021, online 2020).
How this guide was put together
Written by David Spencer, AllAces’ Methamphetamine Decontamination Technician. Reviewed by Marc Christie.
AllAces Cleaning & Restoration has operated in Australia for over 35 years as an IICRC Certified Firm, with more than 65,000 jobs completed. Last reviewed November 2026. Next review May 2027.
