People Helping People

If you would like more information about Home Drug Testing Kits, please visit HomeDrugTestingKit.com.

In-home drug tests spark debates, interest By CHANTE DIONNE WARREN Advocate staff writer Published: Mar 29, 2007 Saliva strips and urine cups don’t betray the trust between mother-daughter duo Keshia and Christian Bishop. Christian, 14, agreed to be randomly tested by her mom at their Geismar home. “It’s like she cares, and I don’t have a problem with her doing it, because I don’t do drugs,” said Christian, a freshman at Dutchtown High School. In-home drug tests are growing in popularity. Any Internet search engine site will churn up dozens of private in-home drug testing kits that parents can order. But, their merits are still a matter of debate. A local drug prevention specialist and a Minden doctor who authored “Preventing Addiction: Giving Kids Ways to Say No to Drugs” are among those who favor in-home drug testing as long as it is coupled with drug education. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued guidelines against drug testing of teens in school and at home. The academy recommends that more studies be done on the reliability of the tests. It also suggests that the test could damage relationships between parent and child or child and school. Keshia Bishop disagrees with the academy’s recommendations. The drug tests keep the trust between the mother and daughter, she said. “It gives kids a socially acceptable way to say ‘no’ to drugs,” Keshia Bishop said. Keshia Bishop decided to begin doing random tests at home after hearing her daughter tell of being offered drugs by other teens who were abusing drugs themselves. “I see it every day and to some students, it’s no big thing,” Christian said. Christian’s tests have turned up negative, added Keshia Bishop. Parents will find information on teenage drug use, signs of drug use and education on drugs. Keshia Bishop said it’s important for parents to be sure. “You need to know if they are doing drugs socially, occasionally, versus if they have a serious problem. You are responsible if they are high and dry and drunk and go out and kill someone,” she said. National Families in Action, a drug-prevention group, is a proponent of in-home testing. The organization contends the kits help frustrated parents because often pediatricians won’t test teens for drugs or they won’t release results, said Sue Rusche, president of the group. According to the Monitoring the Future survey in 2006, drug use is down, but still prevalent. However, prescription-type drug-use such as OxyContin and sedatives remain high. The survey of 50,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders in more than 400 schools nationwide showed that 21 percent of eighth-graders, 36 percent of 10th-graders, and about half of all 12th-graders have taken an illicit drug during their lifetime. The margin of error is plus or minus 1 to 2 percent. Marijuana is the most widely used of the various illicit drugs. Other commonly used drugs are cigarettes, inhalants, smokeless tobacco, amphetamines and other narcotics, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Keshia Bishop said the tests, which are offered for children ages 11 to 18, can make a difference for parents and their children. The package offers 75 instant drug tests. The most popular is the 10-panel urine test which can detect cocaine, narcotics, marijuana and other drugs. The alcohol-saliva test is also very popular, Bishop said. “In-home drug testing allows parents to know their child is using drugs before a superintendent of a school or the police notify the parent. We also believe our program gives children another way to say, ‘no way, my parents drug test me and if I test positive, I will lose my car, my cell phone, curfew time, etc.,’” Keshia Bishop said. In-home drug tests are fast becoming a big thing among parents, said Dr. John Fleming, a family physician and medical review officer in Minden who insists the tests are “extremely accurate.” Bishop insists the tests are 99.9 percent reliable, but adds that parents who are unsure about results can send them to a professional laboratory offered through her service. Rusche suggests parents retest with a more sophisticated test in case the result is positive. Fleming said a 12-year-old drinker has a 16 percent chance of becoming a lifetime drinker. “How can we stop the younger kids from becoming 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds who have a problem?” he asked. In addition to administering drug tests, Fleming suggests parents know where and what their kids are doing. Fleming administers drug tests to his own children — including a son who was caught drinking. “We bought a breathalyzer and every time he goes out with friends and comes home, he has to blow into a breathalyzer,” he said. Fleming also uses a home drug test kit. “It’s built trust and honesty,” he said. I CARE’s executive director, Becky Young, who directs the alcohol, drug abuse and violence prevention program in public and nonpublic schools, said the best way to use drug testing is as a preventative. However, she advocates that the testing should be coupled with other preventative measures. Home drug testing can be successful if things are done to foster trust and high expectations, she said. “I believe, as a prevention specialist for 24 years, that it can be part of a package and part of how you respond. It might not be advisable to use a drug test on children who don’t give us a reason to believe that they are doing drugs. If they have friends who use them or have changes in their behavior, then that may be an appropriate time. Or if you have a gut feeling or if you’ve caught them,” she said. Drug use in the schools does happen, Young said. “Some young people have drug problems, and we know that almost all of the drug use happens in unsupervised situations without parents,” Young said. “Our community has a serious drug and alcohol issue, and does some spill over into our schools? You bet. And does it affect the students? You bet. We have some instances of substance abuse on school sites, but it pales in comparison to those after school,” Young said. If it’s school related, chances are that the student has probably used in the past, Young said. Bishop expects home drug testing to make a difference long term. “As a parent, I will do what I need to do to keep my children safe,” she said. If you would like more information about Home Drug Testing Kits, please visit HomeDrugTestingKit.com.