7 Reasons Parents Should Not Test Kids for Drug Use

I do understand we can be tricked by the kids but if you are just as smart as a teen you can out smart them watch them go to the bathroom to a point....Buy the test that has a ton of items to test for...Also its not for them to stop doing the drugs...Yes we want our kids to stop but face it no one can just stop if they have been using for some time...We are just tiring to make it much harder for them to use knowing they will be getting random tests done NOT knowing when the test will be is more SSSSSSSSthan you know. They are scarred to use thinking that they will be caught...

Have a plan what will happen if the test comes up positive...if it does the first time No going out for say a week or two if it happens again just add some time on or take away the CELL PHONE, TAKE THE CAR AWAY...add some more chores on make them spend more time with you take there stereo away I don’t know only some suggestions on how to and what to do if it comes up positive...

I know the test for the many drugs are a bit expensive but its worth it to at least to try and save your Childs life...

Don’t tell them that you did all of this thinking it will not want them to do it that only wants them to try it more or do what Dad or Mom did I did that one I have a friend that that told there child all the stupid stuff they did low and behold there child did it I told them NO that isn’t good keep your kids young as long as you can it better that way in anyway you can talk to them maybe they just might be honest...

I know from Personal Experience my daughter was so scarred that I was going to test her...I had told her every other day or something to that... I was going to test her I could see the fear in her eyes to see her panic and then stay in... That she didn’t use as much she told me she was scarred

Mickey told me she knew I would want that door open when she takes the test I am not stupid I Know what they do she told me what her friends did they go and ask kids for urine and then put it into a tub but first they got to run hot water under it if your street smart enough you can figure out what is what its not that hard to see the poured urine vs. the real stuff...

I don’t know if I could do that it may come to that I surely Hope Not...

MML of KY 2:53AM April 30, 2009

i think many kids just abuse drugs beacuse they hear about it, many kids don't enjoy it they are just doing it for a way to fit in and parents need to watch for that before they loose there child.

karisa of WI 12:04PM April 21, 2009

Have you ever been addicted to anything? Then you should know that you´ll spend your day finding excuses to do it.

Marihuana, alcohol, tobbaco, crack, cocaine, etc are harmful substances that wreck lives.

Legalization will not solve the problem of addiction. It will probably help with the toll death in Mexico and other producing countries, but not the tons of people who quit their jobs, abuse on their families and basically do anything for drugs.

Do not kid yourselves. Drugs are harmful, really. If you don´t beleive me, try some crack and see if you could quit after 2 weeks. Before doing it please de aware you could be hooked and your life destroyed.

Manuel from Mexico 10:30AM January 21, 2009

Being an addictions counselor (and being in recovery myself) as well as administering drug testing programs I am in a unique position to respond to two of the comments from posts here.

First - To the uninformed individual who says that Marijuana is not a "gateway" drug and that it is basically "harmless". Of my clients in treatment 99% did not start with using hard drugs such as cocaine, crack, heroin, etc. They began with...Marijuana. Personally I didn't start snorting an 1/8 of ounce of coke a day at 30, I began with smoking a couple of joints at 16. While it may not be a "gateway" for this person, it is still a gateway. Now about it being harmless. There are definantly less deaths per year from marijuana than from alcohol or tobacco, but...One "joint" or "blunt" contains more carcinogens that a pack of cigaretes. In addtion, the effects of marijuana in regards to spaitial awareness (such as reaction times, periphial vision, etc) can last up to 96 hours after the last use. So get informed.

Second - To the person who says that at home drug tests are as easy to read as a home pregnancy test. They are relativly easy to "read" but the "interpertation" of the results is what the issue is. There can be false positives from medications, food, etc. In most diagnositic tests (like the ones done in Laboratories by Doctors) any "positive" is sent on for additional testing by GC/MS (Gas Chromatographgy/Mass Spectometry). This breaks it down to its chemical "fingerprint". In my tests we can not only tell the difference between coedine, morphine or heroin (all in the opioid or opiate family), we can tell the exact amount that is in the system. That is very relavant if I am going to dicuss this with my child. At home kits are fine, BUT the person who is doing the tests needs to be aware of the limitations of the kit. (There are actually some "at home" kits that let you send the specimen that screens as positive in for additional testing)

Ray H of NY 1:40PM December 30, 2008