Using A Home Drug Test Kit: How To Handle Informed Consent And Refusals To Test

By Dr. Deb Carlin

If you’re not trained to recognize the signs of drug use or symptoms of drug use in your teen and are considering the idea of using home drug test kits to prevent or solve problems before they get worse, then you might be wondering if you need “informed consent” from your child before you administer your first home drug test kit. You might also be worried about what to do if your teen refuses to take a test.

Well, as Dr. Michael Reznicek, a board certified psychiatrist says, “Parents don’t need informed consent to make a child clean their room.” I don’t know where anyone would get the idea that parents need permission from their children to do their job, but it is a commonly asked question.

Additionally, if you spell out the parameters of a home drug test program to your teen in advance of likely problems, be sure to include a provision for a refusal to test as well. In short, I’m encouraging you to communicate such a provision in ADVANCE of starting your home drug testing program that a refusal to test will be treated as a positive result and the consequences of a positive result will be forthcoming.

If you want to know more about using home drug tests or picking out the best home drug test kit for your teen, or the steps to starting a home drug testing program, then there are plenty of helpful resources on the Internet. Program checklists, counselor approved strategies and video tutorials are must-see resources available to help you.
Copyright 2010 Test My Teen LLC.

By: Dr. Deb Carlin

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www.testmyteen.com Dr. Deb Carlin is a psychologist who works closely with the TestMyTeen.com initiative. Her work provides home drug test kits and home drug testing strategies to prevent signs of drug use and symptoms of drug use in teens.