How to Drug Test Your Teenager at Home
Parents can use a home test kit to find out if their teenager has been taken drugs. This can be important for any parents who suspect that their child may be taking drugs, or parents who are monitoring the recovery of an addict. It can be difficult to talk to a teenager about his drug use and to introduce the home test, but there are a number of ways you can make the situation easier for you and your teenager.
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Instructions
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Sit down with your teenager and explain that you love him but are concerned for his welfare. Explain to your child that he is now at an age where friends and peers may offer him drugs, alcohol or tobacco, and you understand that this might cause him to feel pressured to use a harmful substance. Explain that as a parent, it is your job to ensure that he does not choose the wrong path, and to do this, you will be testing him at random times over the coming months. Explain that many careers incorporate random drug testing at the workplace. You should also agree on a treat for the teenager to receive as a reward for a clear drug test. This will help the teenager to see the test in a positive way. You also need to specify the consequences, should the test be positive.
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Give your teenager the cup provided with the drug test kit and ask her to quickly go fill it with urine. If you are concerned that your teenager has been taking drugs, you may want to go into the bathroom with her to ensure that the sample is given correctly.
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Dip the indicator strip into the urine sample and leave it for the instructed period of time; this is normally around five minutes. Now remove the strip to see if the test is negative or positive. The test will indicate which substances the teenager has taken, if any.
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Stick to the agreement made before the test was taken by either enforcing the consequences if the test is positive, or providing the treat that you promised if the test is negative. If the test is positive you should also sit down with the teenager to talk about the situation. Continue to perform random drug testing to monitor the situation. If the teenager continues to produce a positive test result, seek support from school counselors or the family doctor.
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References
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