Home Drug Tests
GH Reality Check: Do HairAnalysis Kits Work?

Good Housekeeping put Psychemedics' PDT90 to the test. Available in
drugstores for $60, PDT90 promises to detect five types of drugs:
marijuana, heroin and other opiates, speed and other methamphetamines,
PCP or angel dust, and cocaine. Following the kit's directions, we
mailed in oneinch locks of hair from three people whose drug
histories were known to editors. We received three onepage forms with
the results (to protect privacy, the company now gives the test
results over the phone within five days):
* A 25yearold man, who smokes marijuana about five nights a week
and used cocaine once in the three months prior to the test,
tested positive for both drugs.
* A 28yearold woman, who smokes about half a marijuana cigarette
once a week, tested negative.
* A 38yearold woman, who reported using drugs ranging from
marijuana and cocaine to Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms in the
previous three months, tested positive only for cocaine.

Analysis: The test failed to detect lowlevel marijuana use in two of
our subjects, but the company points out that all drugscreenings have
a cutoff level; below which a test is considered negative. The
test also failed to detect two types of drugs entirely drugs
that are not among those the company promises to detect.

Conclusion: Just because a test's results turn up negative doesn't
mean a child hasn't used any drugs; only that he or she isn't
heavily abusing those for which the company checks. If the results of
the analysis are positive, you need to rule out anything that might
have compromised the results; otherwise, you can be reasonably certain
your child used drugs.