CANNABIS TEST KITS COULD BE SOLD THROUGHOUT N.Z.

Police will consider whether they should sell cannabis test kits
nationwide.

Inspector Chris Graveson, the national co-ordinator of youth aid, said the
first he knew that cannabis test kits were being sold at the Greymouth
police station was through the media earlier this week.

He would be looking at the subject further to see if it was appropriate to
sell the kits through other police stations.

Mr Graveson said the kits were available for sale through other outlets.
Some schools used them.

Cannabis testing was often a requirement if a student was found with
cannabis at school and they wished to continue attending the school.

In such cases Mr Graveson believed testing was appropriate if it meant a
student could continue with their education.

He could see some problems if parents bought the kits and wanted their
children to undergo a test. He suggested if they had had to go to such
lengths the relationship between the parent and child was probably already
strained and based on distrust.

There was also the chance that a young person who had not used cannabis
would simply object to being tested.

Minister of Police George Hawkins supported the Greymouth police youth aid
officer's move to make the kits available, saying any initiative to get
young people off drugs was a step in the right direction.

Selling the test kits was not something which Timaru police had considered
doing, youth aid officer Senior Constable Stewart Inch said yesterday.

On average he would be approached by parents who suspected their children
were using cannabis a couple of times a month.

His usual response was to refer parents to organisations specialising in
such areas such as the Alcohol and Drug Centre, or the Child and Youth
Mental Health Service.

While New Zealand Safety Ltd's local store did not have any of the kits
available yesterday, the company does sell both alcohol and cannabis
testing kits.