Won’t drug testing make my loved one feel like I don’t trust him/her?

That’s much less likely if you approach the subject in the right way. Start the conversation by telling him/her you know they're going to face this pressure sooner or later, and that you remember how uncomfortable it can be to resist peer pressure. Then say you’ve found a way to help them. Explain how this lets him/her make you the “bad guy,” and just gives them an easier way out of the situation if he/she needs it.
And be sure and tell him/her that you’re not the slightest bit concerned any of the tests will ever come back positive. This is just your way of giving your loved one some extra strength and support in difficult situations.

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Isn’t drug testing an invasion of their privacy?
Let’s face it: kids of a certain age starting to assert their independence can be difficult to get through to. So it’s possible that your loved one may accuse you of invading his/her privacy by drug testing.

There are several important things to remember, and to remind your loved one, regarding this question:
1. You are the parent. It’s your responsibility to keep your loved one safe and to provide all the things they may need. This gives you the right and the responsibility to know what he/she is doing.
2. You’re the one that will have to pay any medical or legal bills that will result from any drug use on his/her part.
And of course, you’re not doing this because you expect him/her to ever test positive. You’re doing this solely to help him/her resist difficult pressure.

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What do I do if my loved one tests positive?
First of all, don’t panic! Drug tests are just an initial test – it is possible to get a false positive result. The last thing you want to do is have a confrontation with your loved one, only to find out on further testing that the results were a mistake.

Any time you have a preliminary positive result, the test should be sent to a lab for confirmation.
But first, calmly show your loved one the results of the test and ask them what he/she thinks about the results. Tell them you’ll be sending the test to a lab to have it confirmed. In most cases, when confronted with a positive test result, the loved one will confess if actual drug use has occurred, and further testing isn’t necessary.

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How long do specific drugs stay in a person’s system?
Please see our Drugs of Abuse Information list for all detection times and metabolites.

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If it is determined that the test is positive because of illegal drug use, what do I do next?
Phamatech has provided you with a list of treatment and counseling centers through our Outside Assistance directory. In the case of a positive test, we recommend that you seek the appropriate and qualified medical services for your loved one.