AT-HOME DRUG TESTS STIR DOUBTS

New over-the-counter drug tests that target young people and employees
appear to be gaining fans among some authorities and parents.

But the drug-screening kits, which sell for $20 to $35, are also attracting
critics who say the tests could be an invasion of privacy and may not
always be accurate.

Some analysts wonder whether people will know what to do if tests indicate
drug use.

"What concerns me is, What are parents going to do if their child tests
positive?" said Jane Maxwell, chief of research for the Texas Commission on
Alcohol and Drug Abuse. "What kind of resources will parents have
available? Will they have a game plan if all these tests prove positive?"

The kits, which are sold at area stores, can detect drugs in minutes. Some
tests, such as the At Home Drug Test and the First Check Home Drug Test,
require urine samples. Another kit called Drug Detector tests for drug residue.

If the kits detect drugs, instructions encourage follow-up tests.

Thousands of kits have been shipped to more than 3,000 stores nationwide
during the past year, officials said. Most have gone to drugstores, such as
Eckerd. North Texas stores have stocked the tests since summer.

"I applaud the fact there is now more tools available to parents to hold
their children accountable," said Bill Russell, commander of the Tarrant
County Narcotics Intelligence and Coordination Unit. "I'm not surprised to
see such a product on the market. It's a proactive measure."

The number of adolescents in Texas who reported using drugs declined 9
percent from 1998 to 2000, at least partly because of prevention efforts,
state officials say. More than 20,000 Texas students in grades four to 12
participated in the survey released last year by the alcohol and drug abuse
commission.

Authorities say the screening kits would further deter drug use.

But an official with the American Civil Liberties Union in Dallas cautioned
that the kits, which tout accuracy rates of 96 percent or higher, could be
abused.

"The accuracy of the tests may come into question," ACLU spokesman Michael
Linz said. "And then there's the question of invasion of privacy when
you're talking about an employer testing an employee."

Maxwell, of the alcohol and drug abuse commission, said parents and
guardians should have counselors or rehabilitation programs ready if their
children test positive.

Sheila Hightower of Trophy Club said she would not hesitate to test her
16-year-old stepson if she suspected drug use.

"I have to do the best job of raising him that I can," she said. "I've
failed to do that if I don't try something like this to find out more about
what's going on with him."

Some area teen-agers said they welcome the tests.

"As a non-drug-user, I think parents have to know," said Jennifer Stahl,
19, of Hurst. "These tests sound like a good idea."

The At Home Drug Test, made by Phamatech in San Diego, tests for substances
such as methamphetamine, Ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana and opiates. The kit,
which costs about $20, has a card that is dipped in urine and is read like
a home pregnancy test.

The Drug Detector, made by American Bio Medica in Kinderhook, N.Y., is
among the first over-the-counter tests for marijuana and cocaine residue.

The kits, which cost about $35, do not require a hair or urine sample.
Instead, a person wipes a surface with white collection paper, sprays it
with a chemical-filled aerosol can and waits for a color change.
Reddish-brown spots indicate marijuana, and blue ones indicate cocaine.

Both kits recommend taking positive samples to laboratories for testing.

This fall, about 30,000 Drug Detector kits were shipped to stores
nationwide, but sale figures were unavailable, said Stan Cipkowski, the
chief executive officer and founder of American Bio Medica.

"It's a wonderful device to check on someone," Cipkowski said. "But I
believe too many parents just don't want to know. A year from now, it's
possible that we may not be selling this product."