Skip to content








Would you ever drug test your child?

Many parents are testing their kids for drug use. Is it a great way to keep them safe, or a serious breach of trust?

by: Nancy Ripton

In This Article
    

A

nd you thought your toddler was trouble–just wait ’til he’s a teen. The latest parenting trend is taking a page from the Olympics as worried parents submit their teens to random drug testing. Is this an unforgivable betrayal of trust, or a justifiable way to protect your child from harm?

More kids are saying “yes” to drugs

Drug use is probably not top of mind as you register your children for nursery school or JK, but you may find yourself faced with this troubling issue early on in their academic career.

A recent study published in the Education Law Reporter found that half of all 12th graders admitted to using illegal drugs at least once in their lifetime, while 18 percent use marijuana on at least a monthly basis. Just as alarming is the abuse of prescription medications–one in 10 high school seniors report non-medical use of prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin.

1234
To test, or not to test? >>