A bombshell report shows there is no real risk to humans from third-hand exposure

to houses where methamphetamine has been consumed.

This means tens of thousands of homes have been needlessly tested and cleaned at
the cost of millions of dollars, with some demolished and left empty.

The study by the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor Peter Gluckman found that
New Zealand authorities had made a "leap in logic" setting standards. Essentially,
a standard used overseas based on what "clan labs" should be cleaned to was now
being used as a trigger to start cleaning here, despite no real health risk at that
level.

"In the absence of clear scientific and health information, there has been an
assumption among the general public that the presence of even trace levels of
methamphetamine residue poses a health risk," Gluckman said.

"There is absolutely no evidence in the medical literature of anyone being harmed

from passive use, at any level. We can't find one case."

Gluckman said testing and cleaning still made sense when there was suspicion that
methamphetamine had been produced on a property - but this was more to do with
reassurance.

He said a "moral panic" around cleaning and remediation had occurred only in New
Zealand. If science had been involved earlier in the policy-making process this
could have been avoided.

Mould was a much larger health risk to tenants than meth residue.

In response to the recommendations, Housing Minister Phil Twyford has announced new
standards and less stringent standards will be set for houses within the next year
- with Housing NZ immediately changing its policy.

The current level of 1.5 micrograms per 100cm2 was only useful as a barometer of
what to get houses cleaned to after manufacture - not as a trigger to start
decontamination, the report said.

A measure of 15 micrograms per 100cm2 - 10 times higher - would make more sense as
a trigger.

Gluckman said he wouldn't be worried about "toddlers crawling around on the floor"
until the meth residue reached the level of several hundred micrograms per 100cm2 -
not the current standard of 1.5 - and this was based on a 300-fold safety buffer.

He stressed the government's recommendation was still very far below a level where
it could become dangerous.

"We're looking at a 1000-fold safety factor minimum in our recommendations, for a

naked toddler crawling around the floor licking every bit of the floor up to
several hours a day," Gluckman said.

In response to the report, Housing NZ has immediately set its standard at 15

micrograms per 100 cm2, up from 1.5 micrograms.