VNEEN! O !HE SCIENCE
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES/GUEST COMMENTARY
Thirdhand Exposure to Methamphetamine Syndrome: Symptoms Resulting From Environmental Exposure to Methamphetamine Contamination Arising From Manufacture or Use
Emma J. Kuhn College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Kirstin E. Ross, PhD College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University G. Stewart Walker, PhD College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Harriet Whiley, PhD College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Jackie Wright, PhD College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Environmental Risk Sciences the manufacture or use of drugs (Holitzki et al., 2017; Meays et al., 2019). This exposure often includes family members and children who reside at the same property. Both the manufacture and the personal use (e.g., smoking) of amphetamine-type stimulants (e.g., amphetamine, methamphet- amine, 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphet- amine [MDMA]) can result in environmental contamination. Even though amphetamine is structurally similar, methamphetamine has a greater eect on dopamine levels and the corresponding transporter proteins (Chiu & Schenk, 2012). Methamphetamine is the amphetamine-type stimulant most com- monly smoked; MDMA is usually taken in tablet form or snorted intranasally. Thus, methamphetamine is the main amphet- amine-type stimulant of concern for third- hand exposure (Meyer, 2013). Methamphetamine use can take place in a range of locations, including household prop- erties, hotels, public bathrooms, and vehicles (Cherney et al., 2006; Green & Moore, 2013; Hannan, 2005). This use in a range of locations leads to porous materials, such as carpets and soft furnishings (including bedding), absorb- ing methamphetamine residues (Morrison et al., 2015; Wright et al., 2019). Furniture, benchtops, interior walls, and other imperme- able surfaces can also have residual deposits that can be mobilized through air move- ment or foot trac (Bitter, 2017; Martyny et al., 2007; Wright et al., 2019). Furthermore,
b8tract Thirdhand exposure to methamphetamine occurs through contact with environments that have become contaminated during the manufacture or use of the substance. This exposure is a serious emerging public health concern. Exposure can cause adverse health eects in unwitting residents, particularly children. As an increasing number of reports appear in the scientific literature, we propose “thirdhand exposure to methamphetamine syndrome” as a collective term to describe the various nonspecific symptoms that are related to methamphetamine exposure. This proposed term could provide a searchable keyword to facilitate the coordination of research to better understand the health-related consequences of exposure to methamphetamine that result from its manufacture and use.
Introduction Methamphetamine usage has been described as a global epidemic (Chomchai & Chom- chai, 2015; European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction & Europol, 2022; Hansell, 2006; Jones & Comparin, 2020; Pisarski, 2021). Worldwide, metham- phetamine is the second most used illicit drug and the most commonly manufactured amphetamine-type stimulant (Bijlsma et al., 2021; European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction & Europol, 2022; Jones & Comparin, 2020; Perez et al., 2022; Stone- berg et al., 2018). Recent reports indicate an increase in both use and the incidence of methamphetamine overdose (Han et al., 2021; Young et al., 2019).
Many countries conduct on an annual basis national drug surveys that consider a range of factors, including sociological demograph- ics, substance abuse, and stage of addiction (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction & Europol, 2022; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin- istration, 2020; Sutherland et al., 2022). As a result, the dose response and impact of methamphetamine on firsthand drug users have been extensively researched. There are also newspaper articles that highlight drug- related violence, drug tracking, and drug busts by police (Rawstorne et al., 2020). Secondhand exposure is also reasonably well defined as it relates to the cohort of people, especially children, who are present during
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Volume 86 • Number 3
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