Parents who are concerned that their child may be using drugs or alcohol have a new tool at their disposal, thanks to the Davis Police Department.

The department is selling more affordable and more accurate home kits that will screen for seven different drugs as well as for alcohol, according to youth intervention specialist Trease Petersen.

The $5 drug-screening kit tests for cocaine, methamphetamines, THC/marijuana, MDMA/ecstasy, opiates, oxycontin and benzodiazepines. Separate $3 kits screen for alcohol.

“These new screens are not only now $5 less expensive per unit,” Petersen said, “but the level of detection is greater as they pick up these substances in lower concentration levels in the urine.”

According to Petersen, the average amount of time a child is involved with drugs or alcohol before his or her parents find out is 18 months. But parents often suspect something is amiss before then, she said, and “often times that feeling or intuition is right on.”

“Remember, no one knows your child better than you,” Petersen said. “Trust your instincts. Conduct spot checks. This is not only a great way to find out if they are doing what they say, but it also helps your child earn back trust if it has been lost.”

Petersen adds that many teens welcome drug testing and use it as a tool to say no to peer pressure.

“It is easier to say ‘no’ when they know they are being tested,” she said.

And if parents find out that their child is, indeed, using?

“It is important you don’t enable their behavior,” Petersen said. “You must take a zero-tolerance stand. Do not protect them from the consequences of their actions, as an intervention with law enforcement can be very powerful.

“Consult with a therapist or substance abuse counselor who specializes in adolescents,” Petersen adds. “Most health care providers provide coverage for substance abuse counseling and/or treatment.”

To purchase drug and alcohol screening kits from the Davis Police Department, contact Petersen at (530) 747-5432 or [email protected].

— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at [email protected] or (530) 747-8051.

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