Teenagers have more access to drugs and alcohol than ever before. It can be scary for parents if they discover their teen experimenting. It can be even scarier if you find out your teenager has a serious drug problem. It can be difficult for parents to tell the difference. Luckily, there are drug tests you can perform at home to help answer any questions you may have. However, most teenagers aren’t going to be willing to take a drug test. You may wonder if giving your teen drugs tests is the right answer or if it’s only going to damage your relationship. When a teen uses drugs and alcohol, it breaks the trust of the parent. However, the teen will not trust you if you test them unnecessarily. It’s a delicate balance between safety and trust. As the parent, you need to make the right call.
Teens and Drugs
Teenagers are at a stage in life where they want to prove that they are an adult. They also want to try new things. Adult things. For some reason, many teenagers think this includes experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, certain drugs can turn into a serious problem rather quickly. The teenager may try it without realizing that they could soon become addicted. You need to look out for addictive behavior. Is your teen constantly nodding off? Do they constantly have bloodshot eyes? Is there a drastic change in behavior? Are they stealing to support their habit? These are all signs that they might have a serious problem. Do not snoop if you think there is a problem. Instead, talk to your child. If they continue to insist there is no problem, and there’s no glaring evidence of drug use, you may be mistaken. Do not use a drug test just to calm your fears.
Appropriate Times to Drug Test
It’s not fair to drug test somebody completely randomly when they haven’t done anything wrong. You also should not drugs test your teen simply because they stayed out later than you would like or talked back to you. Drug testing should only be used when the teen has been dishonest about drug and alcohol use. It’s only fair to test someone after they have already gotten caught by you or other authority figures. You also need to understand the difference between a teen who tried marijuana once and a teen who does heroin habitually. You probably don’t need to test the one-time marijuana user like you would have to test the habitual heroin user. One is a far more serious situation, while the other is something very manageable.
How to Administer Drug Test and Deal With Results
You need to be careful about how you administer the drug test. Every though teens aren’t always the smartest people, they can be clever when they want to be. You don’t want to administer a drug test on the first of every month consistently. They may be able to work around this. You want to give the tests at random times. This will ensure an accurate result. Also, you want to be careful about how you respond to the results.
Your first instinct if you see a positive response may be to get angry. However, you need to understand that your child could need help. If the test is positive for something more serious than marijuana, talk to your child calmly about the possibility of going to a rehabilitation center. You want your child to know you are there to help them with this problem- not punish them. If the child refuses to get help, you may need to take a more drastic approach. Alternatively, your teen may pass the drug test with flying colors. That’s wonderful! If they can pass multiple times in a row, you should consider no longer giving them drug tests. They have proven themselves, so continuing to test them will only make them (rightfully) mad.
You don’t want to have to drug test your teen. However, when your teen is going through a rebellious stage that includes experimenting with drugs and alcohol, a drug test can let you know what’s going on. Naturally, you shouldn’t test your teen unless you have a valid reason. If you do have a good reason, test them sporadically. If something does show up positive, talk about it instead of yelling. The drug test can possibly increase the trust between you guys again as long as you go about it with care. Call us at 844-639-8371.