Study Says Teen Drug Tests Aren't Always Reliable
It seems to me that the problem isn't with the reliability of the home drug test. All home drug testing kits are very accurate. But that doesn't mean that there aren't ways for the drug user to invalidate the test. Just like with computers, it's a case of "Garbage In, Garbage Out".
via Adolescent Substance Abuse by Aspen Education Group on 4/15/07
In recent years, drug testing has become an increasingly popular way for parents to find out if their kids are using drugs. However, Sharon Levy, an assistant profession at Harvard Medical School, says the test can be inaccurate."In 2001, her group started researching the reliability of these tests. In their most recent study, published in the April issue of Pediatrics, 12 percent of the teenagers in their [substance abuse] program who took tests for drugs such as marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and opiates had an initial false result."Diluted samples are the most common cause for an inaccurate drug test. It seems to be a well-known fact that drinking lots of water before a drug test dilutes the sample enough to affect the test results. Some tests also come back with a false positive result, because the person is taking over-the-counter or prescribed medication. Read more at USNews.com.
