PROGRAM OFFERS FREE DRUG TESTS

The Lansing Police Department Is Handing Out Free Drug Tests For Parents To
Test Their Children.

Lansing police Sgt. Linda Doherty-Wright is working with the program, Law
Enforcement Against Drugs, or LEAD, to provide free drug test kits for a
month. The program began Tuesday.

"Some parents don't have a clue how readily available drugs are,"
Doherty-Wright said. "Use of substances is acceptable (among children) in
our middle schools."

The kits are able to test for alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, morphine,
methamphetamine, opiates, cocaine, Phencyclidine, or PCP, and other
designer drugs. The kits come in one and four panel tests. The one panel
tests are for alcohol, marijuana and ecstasy. The four panel test cover all
drugs.

Doherty-Wright ordered about 200 tests for the initial free giveaway. After
the 30 day free giveaway the one panel test will be available for $3 and
the four panel for $12.

"To go to Sparrow (hospital) lab it is $100 for a urine test,"
Doherty-Wright said.

The tests do not require turning samples to testing agencies and return
easy to understand results within minutes.

Doherty-Wright said she has already had a positive response to the program,
with parents calling for more information.

Working with the drug-free program for nearly three years, Doherty-Wright
says there is a lot of need to get kids on the right track.

"I've seen kids 10 to 13 that come before the court on felony charges over
these last three years," Doherty-Wright said. "This program came about
because of the amount of substance abuse I've seen from these kids."

Along with the drug test, Doherty-Wright also provides educational
materials for parents to figure out if their child is using drugs,
materials on how to prevent drug use, a list of local agencies that deal
with juvenile substance abuse issues and a help line for interpreting test
results.

"We are trying to get kids help, not bust anybody or get prosecution,"
Doherty-Wright said. "We are giving parents a tool to help their kids get
back on track."

John Cannin, a recently graduated Dewitt High School student, said free
drug tests go too far.

"We should have a right to privacy," the 18-year-old said. "I don't think
parents should have so much control."

Dewitt High School student Nick Service, 18, said the bond between parents
and their children should be stronger.

"Parents should talk to us," Service said. "It's more about the
relationship between parents and their kid."

The drug-free program creator Dave Prichard said in a statement that more
then 50 percent of children have used an illegal drug by the time they
leave high school.

Drug tests are available at the Lansing Police Department, 130 W. Michigan Ave.