Feb 07 2008
3 Serious Problems With Home Drug Tests For Teens - Why Parents Need To Think Hard Before Testing
There are some serious issues surrounding the use of home drug testing kits, and although parents can be tempted by these affordable and easy to use options, they need to weigh carefully the full implications of enacting a policy of home drug testing, and evaluate the risks as well as the benefits.
The benefits are clear, and if parents have concrete and irrefutable evidence of drug or alcohol use they can discipline appropriately and effectively, and they are also in a great position to intervene should the use become abuse or dependence.
Parents may also hope that drug tests may serve as deterrents to use, and if kids know that there is a high probability that any drug used on Friday may be discovered by parents on Sunday, they may be more reluctant to experiment.
But there are some disadvantages too:
1 The loss of trust
Teens seek autonomy and hope for trust and respect from their parents. When parents enact a program of drug testing at home, even though it’s done out of love and concern, the act sends a clear message to teens highly attuned to any actions of distrust.
You may catch them taking drugs or you may not, but if you damage an already tenuous teen-parent trust relationship, they may not be as inclined to seek your help and advice when they grapple with other equally serious problems of adolescence (pregnancy, STD’s…).
2 The tests can be wrong
Drug testing as performed in professional laboratories is very accurate, but the home drug tests as sold to parents are nowhere near as good, and an independent lab test reveals that they can be off by as much as 40% with false negatives.
Parents may not handle the tests or sample correctly, and may get incorrect results. A negative result may incorrectly assure parents that everything is OK; when all else in life says that things are not.
Kids can also beat the tests, and a quick internet search reveals hundreds of websites set up to supply the masking agents needed to ensure a negative results. These masking agents are not expensive, and your kids can get them easily. They may also perform crude but effective techniques as basic as adding water to urine.
3 How do you get a sample from a teen who doesn’t want to be tested?
The realities and logistics of drug testing may demand of you to physically remove hair from your teen, to physically take a saliva sample, or too watch
There are some clear advantages, but the problems and issues of trust surrounding the enactment of a policy of home drug testing calls for a careful evaluation of the relative need for, and the potential costs of, such a policy.
There are some very clear advantages to using drug tests as a preventative measure against drug use. Read more on the advantages of drug testing teens at:
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-advantages-of-a-family-teen-drug-testing-policy
Mark Schullen is an addictions professional and a recovering addict who writes non biased and non commercial information about drug and alcohol use and abuse.
Tags: drug testing kits, drug tests, family drug testing, pills, teen drug testing
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