Public health challenges facing Environmental Health Officers during COVID‐19: methamphetamine contamination of properties

Kuhn, Emma J.; Walker, G. Stewart; Wright, Jackie; Whiley, Harriet; Ross, Kirstin

doi:10.1111/1753-6405.13067

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(36 reference statements)

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“…They have been implemented in high-risk locations. Throughout the pandemic, social distancing regulations have changed the way people interact with each other and there has been a significant increase in public health calls for hand hygiene, sanitation and self-isolation [85]. All these practices have altered social interactions and have changed the way business is conducted altogether.…”

Section: Risk Perception Affecting Behavior Science Claritymentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Food Safety Oversight: Implications in Canada and Coping Strategies

Charlebois

Music

2021

Foods

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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created enormous societal disruptions in the Western world, including Canada, with serious implications for food safety. Since the start of the pandemic, many scholars have investigated the issue of food safety through different lenses. In this review, two research thrusts were identified, the epidemiology of the virus and food safety oversight. Both were challenged by the pandemic in Canada and elsewhere. In this paper, we first present how Canada experienced the pandemic. We then present how epidemiology and food safety oversight were affected by the virus and how the spread exposed gaps in Canada’s food safety system. We explain how Canada was not adequately prepared to face the food safety challenges posed by SARS-CoV-2. The review ends with an explanation on how risk perceptions will be altered by the pandemic in Canada and how food safety systems will adjust to better anticipate systemic risks in the future.

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Section: Risk Perception Affecting Behavior Science Claritymentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Food Safety Oversight: Implications in Canada and Coping Strategies

Charlebois

Music

2021

Foods

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“…Having untrained individuals using test kits could result in inaccurate readings. Other concerns regarding methamphetamine contamination in homes is often addressed by the Environmental Health Officers who are under-resourced and have been impacted by COVID-19 responsibilities [29].…”

Section: Lack Of Regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of Current Practices in the Methamphetamine Testing and Decontamination Industry: An Australian Case Study

Kuhn

Walker

Whiley

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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To better protect public health from third-hand exposure to methamphetamine, it is important to understand the techniques and current practices used within the methamphetamine testing and decontamination industry in Australia. A survey was conducted focusing on business owners that advertised testing and/or remediation services online. They were also invited to participate in a follow-up phone interview upon completion. The survey demonstrated that testing and decontamination methods were highly varied, which was expected for an industry with no regulation. Most companies offered methamphetamine testing and remediation which could be a conflict of interest. Participants also shared personal experiences, including the conduct of other industry members, demonstrating both poor practice and/or the competitive nature of the business. Participating business owners were following Australian guidelines to the best of their ability, and many are advocates for regulation to be implemented within the industry. This would address the inconsistencies between companies and establish trust for industry members and the public. It would also provide significant public health protection, which is currently lacking. A more consistent approach to the testing and remediation of methamphetamine contamination, aided by regulation, would address the significant risk to public health caused by third-hand exposure to methamphetamine.

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“…Environmental Health Officers/Practitioners (EHOs/EHPs, referred to as EHOs from here on) are the front-line educators and regulators of public health for local government [11]. They manage an array of issues in local government areas including food safety, immunisations, mosquito management, septic tanks, swimming pools, and building contamination associated with clandestine drug labs [12,13]. Health protection departments from around the world recognise the challenges associated with clandestine labs and methamphetamine contamination [14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Investigation into the Prevalence of Methamphetamine Related Enquiries to Local Government Environmental Health Officers

Kuhn,

Ross,

Walker

et al. 2024

IJERPH

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Methamphetamine contamination of residential properties remains a serious public health concern for members of the public. External stakeholders including Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and testing and remediation technicians are engaged on investigating whether contamination has occurred from manufacturing or smoking processes. More specifically, local council EHOs are responsible for managing clandestine drug laboratories when notified by police and also for responding to public enquiries. However, the full scope of these contaminated properties is not seen by any single stakeholder, making it very challenging to quantify these situations. To evaluate the prevalence of methamphetamine related enquiries from the general public to EHOs, this study surveyed and interviewed officers from around Australia. It was found that public enquiries were infrequent with only 6% of respondents having received enquiries in the last month, which indicates that people are seeking information from other sources. Interestingly, there were case study scenarios that also mentioned issues with awareness and the flow of information. Concerns regarding difficult cases, police notifications, and site visits were also highlighted. The results of this study provide a benchmark of how methamphetamine related cases are managed and highlight the need for trustworthy information that is available to EHOs, governments, industry members, and the public in a unified location.

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Public health challenges facing Environmental Health Officers during COVID‐19: methamphetamine contamination of properties

Cited by 5 publications

References 39 publications

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Food Safety Oversight: Implications in Canada and Coping Strategies

SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Food Safety Oversight: Implications in Canada and Coping Strategies

Overview of Current Practices in the Methamphetamine Testing and Decontamination Industry: An Australian Case Study

An Investigation into the Prevalence of Methamphetamine Related Enquiries to Local Government Environmental Health Officers

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