Rapid tests found no methamphetamine contamination inside the Longmont Public Library restrooms.
The tests were conducted a few weeks ago out of abundance of caution with the same rapid tests that are used by the housing authority, Library Director Jon Solomon explained.
“We had one other suspected case of illegal drug use in a restroom and followed the cleaning protocols immediately before the restroom was made available again,” he said.
Solomon added that with new information provided by Boulder County Public Health, the library saw no reason to conduct further third-party testing.
In recent months, the Boulder Public Library and three others along the Front Range were closed after tests found methamphetamine residue in bathroom exhaust vents were above state health limits. The Boulder Library reopened after several weeks of closures, but public restrooms and public computers are still unavailable.
Since the initial panic, Boulder County Public Health has issued additional guidance on exposure to meth. Specifically, the presence of meth does not mean anyone exposed will become ill — it’s only a risk if there is a realistic way for that person to ingest a high enough dose.
Symptoms of exposure to meth can include irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, weight loss, a persistent cough, dizziness, difficulty breathing, headache, nausea and irritation of the throat, eyes and skin. Age, activities of the person exposed, level or contamination and duration of exposure can influence the severity of the effects, according to Boulder County Public Health.
“Unless someone is in the same room as a smoker or enters a small room immediately after the smoker leaves, inhalation exposure would be negligible,” the guidance said.
Colorado adopted a standard for residential meth clean up in response to drug labs in housing and the need to reoccupy those residences. The state does not have a different standard for public spaces like a library, the health department said.
“It is important to understand that Colorado’s clean up standard is a technology-based standard, not a health-based standard,” the guidance added.
The standard was written with the idea of a small child living in that space all the time, and the state made conservative assumptions with large safety margins built in, according to Boulder County Public Health, which is unlikely to reflect a situation at a public building.
“It doesn’t make sense to conduct the same tests in a public restroom as are being used in residential properties,” Solomon summarized.
He emphasized that Longmont Library has been and continues to be a safe place for the public to visit.
