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Schools Sell Home Drug-Testing Kits to Parents
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| Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 | Kristen DiPaolo | CWK Producer |
“[Parents] don’t have to worry about school administration involvement and ‘my child might be suspended from school for using drugs,’ or anything like that. [The home drug testing kits] allow them to find out something that is very important, take what they consider to be the appropriate action, and keep it totally within the family.”
– Preston Howard, Assistant Superintendent, Marietta City Schools, Georgia
Marietta High School in suburban Atlanta is one of many around the country that sells home drug-testing kits to parents.
“When the parent comes in with 12 dollars, this is the kit that he or she will receive,“ explains school counselor Chenedra Corbin, referring to a urine test.
In just a few minutes, parents can find out if their child is using drugs.
And the school?
“We have nothing else to do with it,” answers Corbin, “So it’s in the privacy of their home, the results are their own.”
The kit includes a list of phone numbers parents may call in case the child tests positive for drug use.
“They don’t have to worry about law enforcement involvement,” explains Preston Howard, an assistant superintendent with Marietta City Schools. “They don’t have to worry about school administration involvement and ‘my child might be suspended from school for using drugs,’ or anything like that. It allows them to find out something that is very important, take what they consider to be the appropriate action, and keep it totally within the family.”
But, what if you give your child a test - and it turns out he or she is not using drugs?
Many parents fear it will send the message, ‘I don’t trust you.’
“Naturally, I probably would be offended,” admits high school senior Lindsey Fowler. “But if it warrants that, if she felt that she needed that, I would go through with the test, obviously.”
Experts say parents should use the test only if they have a reason to suspect drug use.
“If I thought that there was a concern that my child’s behavior had changed drastically,” explains mother Brenda Peters, “and that I was not sure what was going on with her, then I would pick up a kit.”
“I think that if a parent is at a point in their relationship with their child that they have to ask them, ‘Are you on drugs?’” says Corbin, “then the trust issue has already been broken.”
What’s more, experts say, the tests offer kids an easy way to turn down drugs.
“We hope that everybody is strong enough to stand on their own character, and say, ‘this is something that I don’t do,’” says Howard. “But when you are dealing with your friends sometimes you need to say, ‘well, my dad won’t let me do it’, or, ‘no, I can’t do it because my parents, they may go get a drug test kit.’”
Schools can buy home drug-testing kits through the L.E.A.D. program - or Law Enforcement/Local Educators Against Drugs. A corporation provided seed money for Marietta High School to purchase the first shipment of drug kits. Proceeds from the sales of the kits are used to replenish the supply.
What We Need To Know
- The warning signs for teenage drug abuse include a change in friends, a drop in grades; increased secrecy about possessions or activities; use of perfume or incense to hide the smell of smoke; an increase in borrowing money; new use of eye drops, breath mints or mouthwash and evidence of inhalant products like hairspray, nail polish or correction fluid. (National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign)
- Parents who suspect their child is using drugs should first talk privately with each other. It’s important to get on the same page before confronting the child. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- Use checklists to record all behaviors that concern you. Documenting your observations is important because your child will work hard to convince you that things did not happen the way you remember it. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- Prepare what you want to say to your child. Describe specific behaviors you and others have observed and when they occurred. The more specific you are, especially if you have written your observations down, the harder it will be for your child to deny, disagree, or argue. Express your love and concern and your desire to help your child. Emphasize your firm, non-negotiable position that you will not tolerate drug use, and that you intend to determine if these behaviors are indications of drug use. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- It is not useful simply to ask if your child if he or she is using drugs. Almost always, children will deny using. But it's not a bad idea to voice your suspicions at some point. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- If you haven't observed very many warning signs and believe that your child has just begun using, emphasize that any use of alcohol or other drugs at all is unacceptable. Describe the consequences for further behaviors that concern you. Use strong leverage; consequences might include no driver's license, no use of the family car, an earlier curfew. (Partnership for A Drug-Free America)
- If you have observed multiple warning signs, discuss your immediate plan of action. It is a sound strategy to schedule a drug evaluation before you talk with your child. (You may first want to go by yourself to talk to a counselor about your concerns with your teen and the need for an evaluation.) Then during your discussion with your child, explain that you will go together to the scheduled appointment. If your child balks at the having an assessment, claiming that drugs are not a problem, you can offer reassurance that the assessment will support his assertion, if true - and, therefore, there should be nothing to worry about. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- Reiterate the behaviors that concern you and your intention to get help. Don't negotiate, bargain, or debate. Keep it simple. Stick with your major points and documented behaviors of concern. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- If you’d like to use a drug screen, inform your teen that you will be giving a random test to find out if he or she is getting high. When you administer the test, don’t give advance notice. Watch them closely to make sure they don’t swap their urine for a clean sample from a friend. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- When giving the test, emphasize that your motivation is caring. If teens refuse to take the test, tell them you will assume they are using, and proceed accordingly. (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
Resources
- Marietta City Schools, Georgia
- Law Enforcement/Local Educators Against Drugs (L.E.A.D)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
