In this day and age, it definitely takes a village to help raise a child. With all of the new ways our children have to put themselves in harm’s way—in addition to the old ones—any help we can get in keeping them safe can literally be a lifesaver.
This is especially true when it comes to teen drug use. With the availability of alcohol and a multitude of different illicit substances and new ones showing up on the black market every year, no parent can maintain 100 percent knowledge of their children’s behavior.
A new trend gaining in popularity in many schools aims to provide more support to parents in protecting their children when they are away from home. Some schools are now implementing the use of random student drug testing.
Along with this new trend comes new research showing the efficacy of these programs. The Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse has recently released the findings of one of these studies, reporting positive results for the use of random drug testing as a deterrent for teen drug abuse.
Results of Random Drug Testing
The study was conducted in eight different high schools and used self-reporting surveys to gather data on drug and alcohol use. Those students who thought they might be subjected to testing were found to be far less likely to use drugs than those who knew they were not going to be subjected to random testing.
The only downside to the random testing is that it found there was no significant difference between the two groups in regards to the use of alcohol. Many of the testing programs didn’t test for alcohol, however, so that may be a significant factor.
Another issue is privacy. Many parents feel that their child’s rights are being violated with the use of random drug testing, and even in instances where refusal to be drug tested meant ineligibility for certain after-school sports or other activities, they still declined to allow their children to be involved.
Does Your Son Need Help?
If your son is dealing with drug or alcohol addiction and you feel that professional intervention is necessary, call us here at Muir Wood today. Our program is designed exclusively to address the needs of young men and the challenges they face in dealing with addiction issues. Don’t let your son live another day with an active drug and/or alcohol abuse issue. Contact us now so we can help you help your son find the path to a clean and sober life.
