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Home Drug Testing Kits
It's About Prevention
Prevention
Home drug testing can be used as a prevention tool in the home. Having the test in the home acts as a deterrent, as kids will be less likely to risk drug use if they are tested regularly.
Innovative
Home drug testing is an innovative concept that has only been available for the past few years. It is a new and important tool in the fight against drug use among our youth. The test is private and between you and your child, so that you can have a healthy, two-way conversation about drugs.
Not My Kid?
It is easy for parents to believe that a home drug testing kit is not needed for their child. However, 2 years is the average time it takes for a parent to realize that a child has a drug problem. While we teach our kids about the dangers of drugs, we need to realize that all children are at risk and that testing can often be a life-saving step.
Trust
A common question parents ask is “What about trust?” Well, parents have been building trust with their child since they were born, and home drug testing should not break that trust. Use the analogy of a report card: we check our children’s grades even though we may ask them what their grades will be. The same approach should be taken for drug testing: we should communicate with our children, but we should also make sure they are successfully saying no to drugs.
Options for Use
There are a number of ways that parents can approach the topic of home drug testing. Here are a few tips:
- Tell your child you love them and want to give them an out!
- Set it on the kitchen table and tell your child you got it to begin a discussion!
- Set it by the door so it’s the last thing your kid sees when they go out at night!
- Tell your child you have it and will use it at random
- Set up a reward system every time your kid tests clean.
- Encourage the parents of your child’s friends to get kits too, supporting your family’s effort to remain drug free.
No to Drugs:
Having the drug test in the home can help kids avoid peer pressure situations with the simple phrase “I can’t, my parents might drug test me.” Having a drug test in the home makes it easier to say “NO.”
What do I do if the home test is POSITIVE?
Contact your health care provider or one of our substance abuse counselor to set an appointment to help interpret the results.
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