SOME PARENTS OPTING FOR HOME KITS TO TEST CHILDREN FOR ILLEGAL DRUG USE

Some Tennesseans are testing their children at home for illegal drugs, using government-provided kits, but a counselor for teens said demanding a urine sample is not always the best approach.

In Bedford County, Juvenile Court officials and the sheriff are providing free urine test kits. They let a parent know instantly if their child is using or has used marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, depressants or opiates.

Sheriff Clay Parker said that the house-testing kits, which are limited to one per family, have been available for about a month and that a few have been given out. The kits are also sold by some pharmacies, typically costing more than $10 each.

Parker said the kits give parents a chance to prevent the possible arrest of their child if drug use is suspected.

"A lot of parents are reluctant to come up and say 'I think my kid's on drugs,' " Parker said. "It's just another avenue to try to help parents with kids without actually putting them in the system."

Judy Freudenthal, clinical director of the Oasis Center, a social service program in Nashville, said parents should use caution before demanding a urine sample to test for illegal drugs.

"Every situation is different," said Freudenthal, who is also a counselor. "What works between one circumstance and set of parents may not work so well with the next or with another family."

She said one benefit is that the tests can help "restore trust" in cases where children or teen-agers have previously used drugs.