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New Fresno kits test kids for alcohol
(Updated Friday, May 13, 2005, 10:34 AM)
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Fresno Mayor Alan Autry is expanding a program he started two years ago when he began offering low-cost drug-testing kits at community centers for concerned parents to test their children.
The city, which has handed out fewer than 300 of those kits, will now also make available alcohol-testing kits.
"This is something that we want parents to use to show their kids they care," said Randall Cooper, the city's parks and recreation director, during a Thursday news conference.
The city waded into the drug detection business in May 2003 when Autry unveiled the idea at a State of the City address. The city gave away 50 kits and then offered the kits at $10 apiece or below the retail cost.
The home kits test for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, methamphetamine and heroin. They contain instructions, a small plastic cup for urine samples, and a chemically treated test strip that produces different colors if drugs are present.
Sales of the drug kits lagged over the past two years, but surged since February when the price was cut from $10 to $5 and the program received renewed media attention.
In the last four months, the city has sold 120 kits. Since the program started, the city has distributed a total of 270.
The city can't point to any studies showing that the availability of the drug-testing kits has led to a decline in drug use among Fresno youths in the past two years.
The program is voluntary, and the city does not keep track of what happens with the drug kits that are handed out.
But Alita Warner, the city's coordinator for after-school initiatives, offers anecdotal evidence about the use of the drug kits. She said some parents buy five at a time to put their children on a regular program.
"This is a tool for parents to use to create a dialogue with their kids," Warner said.
Warner said the city decided to offer the alcohol-testing kits after the kits became available. And she said that alcohol is the drug of choice for too many youths.
With the kits, parents must dab a tab under the youth's mouth and the tab turns a different color depending upon the amount of alcohol consumption.
Both the alcohol- and drug-testing kits are available at the Mosqueda Community Center; Ted C. Wills Community Center; Hinton Community Center; and the Parks, Recreation and Community Service Administration Office.
When the drug kits are handed out, they come with a list of county-contracted treatment centers.
At Thursday's news conference, Dennis Koch, Fresno County's deputy alcohol and drug program administrator, was on hand to talk about those programs.
Fresno County expanded the number of drug and alcohol treatment programs available for youths from three to 16.
And the number of youths being served by those outpatient programs more than doubled from 436 two years ago to 928 last year.
Koch said there has always been a need in the community for expanded programs. But the county has been able to expand the programs only because more state and federal dollars have become available.
The programs are available throughout the county, including Sanger, Selma and Reedley. Koch said the county is also looking at contracting with a treatment provider in Coalinga.
He said youths are referred to the programs through courts or community agencies, are self-admitted or are admitted by their parents.
