When meth is smoked the crystals are heated and change form. Those tiny particles that become airborne and do not make it into the user’s system it will land on the walls, floors, ceilings and any soft furnishings. Once the smoke hits these surfaces, the drug embeds itself into the surface and eventually changes back to its original form, tiny crystals. When manufacturing (often called cooking), it’s the same principle, but worse. When manufacturing takes place, you deal with toxic chemicals like mercury, lead, iodine, lithium, and toxic solvents that could spill and become airborne through the cooking process. This is how a home becomes contaminated.

While other drugs are usually plant-based, meth is cooked up using these synthetic human-made materials. Meth will break down eventually, but in the meantime, it affects the health of humans and animals coming in contact with it. The effects we are seeing include a persistent cough, asthma and ADHD like symptoms, decreased memory function, trouble sleeping, skin rashes, watery eyes, dizziness, and blurry vision —the list continues. While contamination is reportedly affecting people of all ages who live in homes where meth is/has been used or made, young children and pets are the ones most affected. This is because they come in contact with floors and walls though playing and bare skin contact more regularly than adults.