Introduction

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1:
TEENS AND DRUG USE: DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN

-The Four Principles
-The Spectrum of Drug Use
-Drug Use and Depression

Section 2: HAVING THE CONVERSATION

-Is My Teen Using Drugs?
-Presenting the Test
-The Magic 5 Minutes
-What if My Teen Asks if I Ever Used Drugs?

Section 3: ADMINISTERING THE TEST

-The Basics of Home Drug Testing
-When to Test
-Interpreting the Test
-Drug Detection in Urine
-Dealing with the Test Results

Section 4: COMMON DRUGS OF ABUSE

-Drugs You Can Test For
-Drugs You Can’t Test For

Section 5:
NEXT STEPS: TREATMENT OF DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE

-When to Get Help
-The Stages of Change
-The 12 Steps
-Beyond the 12 Steps

Appendix 1: DSM-IV criteria for Substance Abuse and Substance Dependence

Appendix 2: The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

Introduction

This book is about honesty and straight talking. We advocate using home drug testing to improve communication and trust between parents and teens. Drugs are a complicated subject and every problem is different, but hiding drug use and lying about it is practically universal. Using a drug test as part of the conversation gives parents a concrete resource for encouraging abstinence. It gives teens a clear incentive to stay clean. Just having the test unopened on the kitchen table may help to keep the conversation real. In this book we will discuss what we believe is a reasonable and fair approach to using a drug test in your home. We will present some answers to you and your teen’s questions and make suggestions for more support if needed.

Drug use today is complicated by a multitude of different potential highs and dangers about which teens and parents may be uninformed. Marijuana is still the most common illegal drug of abuse. But prescription drug misuse, including highly addictive sedatives, painkillers, and stimulants, has become quite common. Crystal methamphetamine has gained notoriety as a scourge of rural communities. Heroin, particularly in the 1990s, regained popularity as more potent formulations that could be smoked or snorted hit the streets. According to a recent survey of teens, cocaine, ecstasy and others remain widely available. Parents need to get informed and have a useful plan for helping their teens stay safe during the years in which they are most vulnerable to negative peer influences and powerful biology. We believe that if properly used, our home drug test provides parents with the practical motivational tool that they have been lacking in the fight against teen drug use. It gives teens a strong incentive to stay clean and parents a reason to trust their kids again. Every problem with drugs is different but the solution is always the same…trust.

Trust is not an abstract concept. Trust means telling the truth and being true to your word. Trust changes over time and may ebb and flow as your teen navigates the choppy waters of adolescence. Trust may be strained and broken by persistent use of drugs which inevitably pull teens into deception and lying. Maintaining and strengthening trust makes a teen more likely to respect his parents and respect himself. Trust is not strengthened through wishing or hoping. Trust gets stronger with proof.

In compiling this guide, we have drawn on many years of experience in substance abuse treatment settings in the psychiatric and nursing fields. Treating substance abuse is challenging and engaging work which requires seasoned professionals. The purpose of this guide is not to thrust parents into the role of counselor or cop. Rather, we wish to apply some of the tools of the trade to the special situation of parents interacting with their teens. So many of the patients we’ve treated over the years have gotten started with drugs at a young age and progressed relentlessly to the point where their drug habits have taken over their lives. In many cases, patients do not present to treatment centers until they are already well versed and committed addicts. The greatest accomplishment of this work would be to help parents prevent teens from ever trying drugs or curbing their use before drugs take over their lives. By using the information in this guide, our home drug test, and the web-based videos, we hope to empower parents to take a proactive approach towards establishing trust with their teens.

It will not come as a surprise to anyone reading this book that drug use among teens is a significant problem. The statistics are startling. In 2003, 30.3 % of eighth grade students reported trying an illegal drug at least once. In tenth grade 44.9 % and in twelfth grade 52.8 % reported experimenting with illegal drugs. Think about that number. Before graduating from high school, more than half of all U.S. teens will use drugs at least once. This problem persists despite years of public service advertisements, parental conversations, and newsmaking celebrities ruined by drugs. Millions of dollars are spent warning teens of the dangers of drug use and millions more to treat the health problems and addictions that result. Clearly great efforts are being made to keep teens safe from drugs. And it clearly isn’t enough.

Our home drug test is the state of the art in urine drug screening. It is highly accurate and reliable. It uses the same technology that your doctor, emergency room or lab would use to perform a urine toxicology. Our home drug test screens for 12 common drugs of abuse including marijuana, cocaine, opiates including heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, amphetamines, methadone, Oxycontin, benzodiazepines, tricyclics, barbiturates, and PCP. This test is offered as a motivational tool to engage teens in an honest and verifiable conversation about drugs. To accomplish this, we will provide both practical and scientific guidance in the practice of home drug testing. This includes information about these common drugs of abuse, advice for talking to teens about drugs and presenting them with a test, directions for administering and interpreting the test, and ideas about what to do next. Hopefully you and your teen can use this opportunity to get clean or stay clean. If your teen’s problems are more serious, we will provide guidance for getting them the professional help they need. Drug problems hide and grow in the dark, our goal is to help parents shine a light and deal positively with whatever they find.

Trust Your Teen is committed to helping parents and teens talk honestly and prevent drug use. We intend to prevent teens from developing more serious drug addictions by intervening as early as possible, long before a teen would arrive at a treatment center. Our methods are meant to establish real dialogue as well as support parents through every step of the process. Using our guide and web-based videos, we hope to help parents overcome their own fears and their teens’ resistance with knowledge and integrity. Stopping drug use before it starts is the best way to ensure a positive future for your teen. Using our system, you can demonstrate to your teen that you are committed to his safety and to maintaining an honest, trusting relationship through the many challenges of adolescence.