If you have a teenager whom you suspect might be using alcohol or drugs, then asking him or her about it might be the best course of action. If you’re not sure that you can trust the answers you get, then you might decide that a home drug testing kit would be more useful. In some instances, the mere threat of the kit will prevent teens from using since they know they can be tested. However, Narconon Arrowhead explains how a home drug testing kit is not always a good choice.
A major problem with home kits is that they do not screen for all drugs, so they can give a false negative result if the teen is using a drug for which the kit does not test. On the flip side of that, a teen on antibiotics or other legitimate medications can trigger a false positive result with some home drug detection kits. All of the kits are different, and the number of at-home drug screening kits available can be overwhelming.
Knowing what you need to test for can make it easier to select the proper product when shopping for a home drug testing kit. For instance, if you suspect that your teen is abusing oxycodone, then a kit that screens only for heroin is not going to be helpful. Instead, you would need a kit that specifically looks for opioids. Some drugs, such as certain prescription medications, cannot be picked up by home testing kits.
Parents would have to find the right drug test kit for new drugs like Zohydro, a new super painkiller raising concerns about possible abuse and addiction. Home drug tests are the most effective in detecting teen prescription drug use when you know exactly which drug or drugs they might be taking.
Using the home testing kit correctly is just as important as selecting the proper one. Since parents are not usually skilled or trained in giving drug tests, the results can be inaccurate. This type of drug test is also unlikely to detect drugs that have already left the system or infrequent drug use.
Narconon centers suggest that more accurate drug tests can be done in a laboratory setting with trained professionals and a controlled environment. The type of drug tests given in a lab setting are generally more sensitive and can catch even occasional drug use, which might be missed by a home test. Clinical drug tests are also less prone to specimen tampering.
Teens who are abusing drugs might go to great lengths to cover their tracks and even attempt to skew the results of at-home drug tests. Tricks that teens can find on the Internet include taking vitamins or drinking a lot of water to tamper with the test. Such techniques might be enough to fool a home test, but they will not compromise the results of a clinical drug test done by professionals.
If you suspect that your teen is abusing drugs or alcohol, then taking action now can prevent a devastating outcome. Home drug test results can be verified with a professional to ensure accuracy. If drug abuse is confirmed, professional help such as that offered at Narconon Vista Bay can get your teen back on a drug-free path.






















