In a study being published in the April issue of Pediatrics, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston's Center for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Research examined eight different websites that market home drug testing kits to parents and concluded that none of these sites provide parents with enough information to select the correct test for their child, collect a valid specimen and thoroughly evaluate the results. Although many of the Internet websites did provide some accurate information, researchers found they fell short of addressing the technical challenges of drug testing, unanticipated consequences between parents and their children, the potential negative effects on parent-child relationships as a result of coerced testing, unsubstantiated benefits of the test and advice that appears to conflict with professional society guidelines.

In the study, researchers looked at eight Internet sites that sold home drug testing products and that also contained a ''parent's section.'' Within these sites, a variety of drug testing products were available that test for an assortment of substances. Researchers noted the test type (instant or laboratory), sample type (urine, hair, saliva, breath), drugs detected and cost. Researchers saw that each of the sites gave parents multiple reasons to perform drug testing and indicated that drug testing would allow parents to know with certainty whether their children are using drugs. However, researchers concluded that the complexity of drug testing makes this procedure impractical for home use.

Researchers went on to state that even if a teen is using drugs, the appropriate intervention would depend on the diagnosis. For example, a teen who is experimenting with drugs would require a very different treatment approach as compared with a teen who has a diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence. A description of the stages of drug use and insight into the different treatment needs for drug users were lacking in all of the websites. Researchers concluded that to determine appropriate treatment, distinguishing between the stages of drug use was critical, and the websites did not provide useful guidance on this issue.

Overall, Children's Hospital researchers suggest that with all the risks involved with home drug tests, parents would be well advised to rely on a medical professional to handle these sensitive issues. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Ambulatory Pediatric Association all recommend that a professional trained in the interpretation of drug tests should supervise all drug testing. The study was supported by Grant #040557 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Substance Abuse Policy Research Program.