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Chief scientist recommends higher safe meth level

The New Zealand Property Investors' Federation welcomes Sir Peter Gluckman's report into the negative health effects of methamphetamine (meth).

"It seems that a considerable amount of money is being spent on a problem that doesn't appear to exist" says NZPIF Executive Officer Andrew King.

Gluckman’s recommended level of 15 is still 300 times lower than the lowest dose recorded to have a pharmaceutical effect.

The current guidelines are extremely conservative yet many people are unaware of this. They have been unduly led to believe that their health is in danger from microscopic levels of meth in their homes.

The starting point for reaching the current safe level of 1.5 micrograms of meth was achieved by defining a level of meth that causes no effect on people and then dividing this by 100 to apply a safety margin.

Gluckman’s report will go a long way towards educating people and reassuring them that meth levels even as high as 15 micrograms per 100cm2 will not lead to health problems for them and their families.

Meth has caused many people a high level of anxiety, disruption and costs for no real benefit to their health.

The extremely high cost of meth testing and cleaning rental properties is adding to the cost of providing rental homes in New Zealand.

"In addition to the cost and its effect on rental prices,” says King “there is also the time it takes to do all the testing and the time that rental housing is unavailable when it doesn't pose any health risk. Landlords and tenants will be greatly relieved to have such a well-respected and independent NZ scientist publically dispel many myths about meth".

ENDS


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