Home Drug Testing
A recent article covered by Jointogether.org (3.30.06) reports that home drug testing kits’ sales are on the rise. Citing parental concerns about their teenager’s drug use as well as increased student drug testing in schools, the manufacturers of drug testing kits report that sales quadrupled in the last five years. What could cause this sudden interest in detecting teen drug use?
Is it because parents are worried that their youth are bored and have nothing to do besides use drugs? Well, according to a SAMHSA report, youth who were employed were more likely to drink alcohol and to have used other drugs than unemployed youth.
The truth is, I don’t have the answer to this question. What I do know is that when asked about the strongest factor in making decisions about drug use, teens consistently report their parents’ beliefs about drugs - not their peers’ - are what influences them the most. This begs the question: So if a teenager knows her parents don’t trust her to be honest when they ask about her drug use, then how effective will her communication about drugs be with her parents? The fact that there is even a need to test the child probably indicates a need for some type of family counseling which could include alcohol and other drug counseling within it. After all, the majority of kids with drug problems have an immediate family member who also has a problem.
Drug testing has its place in the treatment of substance use disorders. However, in terms of primary prevention, drug testing seems to be a panacea - allowing families to avoid talking about difficult and challenging subjects like substance use.
By Shelli Rawlings-Fein, Information Center Director
National Council on Alcoholism and other Drug Addictions-Bay Area
944 Market St. 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94102
415.296.9900 (24-hour) 415.296.1108 (TDD; M-F 8-5) 415.296.0626 (Fax)
http://www.ncadaba.com
