Drug Testing
March 8, 2009 by Kathie Keeler
Filed under Parents of Substance Abusers
I often advise parents to do regular drug tests at home after professionals have determined that their teen has a problem with substance abuse. This is one of the easiest and most powerful things that a parent can do to prevent drug addiction as long as the teenager is willing to be compliant with this request. I sometimes help parents to write a contract with their teen that stipulates certain privileges based on clean tests.
Parents can buy inexpensive FDA-approved drug testing kits. I've listed the approximate times that drugs can be detected in the urine in the table below. These are only general guidelines and depend on the drug metabolism and half-life, the teen's physical condition, the teen's fluid balance and state of hydration, and the route and frequency of ingestion.
Detectability of Selected Drugs
|
Drug |
Duration of Detectability |
| Alcohol | EtG/EtS test detects alcohol up to 80 hours after consumption |
| Amphetamine | 2 - 4 days |
| Methamphetamine | 2 - 4 days |
| Barbiturates | 2 - 4 days; phenobarbital--up to 30 days |
| Benzodiazepines | up to 30 days |
| Cocaine metabolites | 12 - 72 hours |
| Methadone | 2 - 4 days |
| Opiates (heroin, codeine, morphine) | 2 - 4 days |
| Marijuana (THC) | 2 - 7 days for the casual user; up to 30 days for the habitual user |
| PCP | 2 - 7 days for the casual user; up to 30 days for the habitual user |
If a test reads positive for drugs, it's important for parents to sit down with their teen and talk about the results in a calm, rational, non-blaming manner. Don't just to conclusions, don't yell, don't threaten. Calmly ask about their last date of usage. If teens know that you're not going to overreact, they're far more likely to be honest.
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