Drug Test Kits - Blog » Drug Testing http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog Your Source for Drug Test Kits In Canada Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:19:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Signs of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Aren’t Only Shown at Home http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/50 http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/50#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 00:53:15 +0000 admin http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/?p=50 Are you unsure as to whether your teenager is using drugs or drinking alcohol? You aren’t alone. Teenagers can be unpredictable, moody and distant, and sometimes this is just because they are growing up. But these behaviours can also indicate a change in your child’s life resulting from outside influences like the use of drugs and alcohol.

While we usually rely on our own observations to determine whether or not our children are at risk of choosing unhealthy lifestyles, there are additional perspectives we can search out before we make the decision to use home drug test kits to keep our families drug-free.
For example, look in your teenager’s school. You can ask your teenager’s teacher to give you an insight into your child’s well-being – s/he may have valuable observations about the signs your child may show at school but adequately hides at home.
Your child’s teachers may be able to tell you whether your child is exhibiting any of the following behaviours:
• Sudden drop in grades
• Cutting classes
• Sleeping during classes
• Loss of interest in learning, work performance, or extra-curricular activities
• Increased defiance
• Loss or reduction of memory or attention span
And while some teens may exhibit some of these signs without doing drugs or drinking alcohol, this list provides a good overview of what behaviours your teenager may be displaying if s/he is experimenting with addictive, harmful substances.
And, just as a reminder, these are some behaviours to watch for at home.
• Increased lying or sneaking
• Loss of respect for your family’s rules (not obeying curfew, not telling you where s/he’s been)
• Reduced participation or interest in family activities
• Increased verbal or physical aggression
• Disappearance of money or valuables from your home
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Evidence of drug paraphernalia
• Increased defiance
• Loss or reduction of memory or attention span
• Sudden change of peer group
• Unexplained mood swings and unpredictable behaviour
• Unexplained exhaustion
• Unwillingness to share personal problems
• Becoming more negative, argumentative, anxious or paranoid
• Extreme weight loss or weight gain
• Being overly tired or overly energized
• Showing signs of depression
• Loss of care for appearance
The most effective way to learn about whether your child is participating in harmful activities is to use all avenues to gather information. Don’t be afraid to talk to other adults in your child’s life – they may see a different side of your child, or have access to information that you don’t. The more information you have about your child’s activities, the easier it will be to ask your child about his or her lifestyle and make the decision to use home drug test kits.

]]> http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/50/feed 0 Helping Your Kids Stay Motivated http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/41 http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/41#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 01:45:14 +0000 admin http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/?p=41 Teens Health recently surveyed 900 teens, ages 13-18, asking them how well they do when setting and meeting personal goals. When given the following five categories, the kids chose which types of goals they usually set for themselves, and the goals were then ranked based on their popularity:
• Lose weight
• Personal development
• Do better in school
• Exercise
• Overcome a bad habit
It may seem strange that with the amount of drug and alcohol abuse amongst Canadian teenagers, “overcoming a bad habit” was ranked as the least popular teen goal. But, this survey also showed that more often than not, teens choose to keep their resolutions to themselves, instead of sharing them with their families, friends, teachers or counselors:
“And while 49% shared their resolution with someone else, 51% preferred to keep it private.”
This tells us that many teens feel unable to speak out and receive the help they need to overcome addictions because they may feel embarrassed or too afraid to share their problems. Today’s teenagers live in a society that guides them to hide addictions or unsafe practices from authority figures like parents and teachers. Teenagers may choose not to speak out about their problems because they fear reprisal rather than expect support.
Motivation to avoid or give up drugs and alcohol is complicated, especially when it involves overcoming an addiction. Family support is integral in motivating teens to live lives without the use of drugs or alcohol. However, in order to provide your children with family support, you need to open the lines of communication first. Involving your whole family in a commitment to live in a drug-free home keeps important conversation flowing. When your family commits to regular drug testing, they might find it easier to meaningfully talk about addiction and social pressures because each member must be accountable for and honest about his or her activities.
In addition to having a support system, a goal is more easily met if there are clear and specific steps that will lead to that goal being fulfilled. If your family has agreed to participate in home drug testing, you’ve already reached the first step in meeting your desired goal: you’ve set specific expectations for your family to follow. The motivation to be drug and alcohol free is given concrete, real-life accountability when each family member is asked to prove s/he has stayed on track.
With commitment to these steps, your family will have access to more open conversation, support and trust, which means your family will be less likely to experience the negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Each of the drug tests offered on this website is non-intrusive, safe and simple to use. These tests require only a sample of hair for the hair drug test, urine for the urinalysis, or saliva.
Home drug testing is the simple and easy solution when motivating your family members to be drug free.

]]> http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/41/feed 0 How Can I Tell If My Child is Using Drugs? http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/36 http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/36#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:33:21 +0000 admin http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/?p=36 Too often, many parents do not realize until it is too late that their child uses drugs and alcohol.

By the time some parents discover their child’s drug or alcohol use, he or she may already be addicted and endangered. Signs of alcohol and drug abuse can regularly escape the notice of otherwise vigilant parents, or worse, these signs are passed off as a part of “growing up.”

Sadly, drug and alcohol abuse is mostly begun during an individual’s adolescent years; rarely do adults experiment with drugs for the first time after the age of 21. In fact, the majority of adults who use drugs and alcohol are users because of their adolescent experiences (Oetting and Beauvais, 1983).

Our current society is inundated with references to drugs and alcohol. Kids walking to school can be approached on corners by dealers, adolescent party-goers have access to a much wider variety of drugs and alcohol than ever before, popular youth television programming consistently shows influential celebrities with drinks in hand, and Hollywood blockbusters are full of references to the enjoyment of drug and alcohol use.

The reality is that Canadian adolescents will inevitably be exposed to drugs and alcohol. Hopefully, your child will have the confidence and education to say no when asked to have a drink or try drugs. However, if that is not the case and your child chooses to experiment — as in many situations and across all kinds of socio-economic groups — here is what you can look for to monitor whether or not your child may be using these harmful substances:

· Uncharacteristic lying
· Making excuses
· Breaking curfew
· Withdrawing from family (ex: staying in his/her room)
· Becoming verbally or physically abusive toward others
· Possessing items that are connected to drug use*
· Smelling of drugs or alcohol
· Mood swings
· Stealing
· Changing peer groups

*Called paraphernalia, items connected with drug use include matches, lighters, rolling papers, pipes for drugs that are smoked, pill bottles, needles, syringes and tourniquets.

If you consistently notice these signs in your home, a medical or psychiatric assessment is the first step to determine the level of risk your child or family member poses to him/herself and others.

The next step is your family’s commitment to maintaining a drug-free home. As a family, clearly set the expectation that each family member is responsible for being accountable for his or her drug and alcohol use, and offer home drug tests as a way for your family members to show commitment to your decision. Home drug tests are designed to test for short and long-term drug use in a non-invasive, safe way. Home drug testing requires only saliva, urine or hair follicles to determine whether your family members are actively committed to being drug free.

Commit to a drug-free home, and make the choice to live healthfully, honestly, and responsibly.

]]> http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/36/feed 0 Kids, Drugs and Drinking http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/23 http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/23#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:32:36 +0000 admin http://drugtestkits.ca/blog/?p=23 According to Health Canada, children as young as 11 years of age are using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis.


In a survey conducted to establish the earliest average age of drug use in children between grades seven and nine, Health Canada found that 36.5% of the boys surveyed and 36.6% of the girls had participated in binge drinking during their lifetimes (binge drinking is the consumption of 5 or more drinks in one sitting). And while the girls in the study were experiencing binge drinking for the first time at an average of 13 years of age, boys were drinking even earlier, at an average of 12.4 years of age. When asked about their experiences with drugs (including cannabis, amphetamines, Ecstasy, hallucinogens, cocaine, steroids, glue, gas, prescription drugs and pain killers), the boys revealed that the time of their first use ranged from 10.9 – 13.5 years of age, while girls were 11.1 – 13.5 years of age when they tried drugs for the first time. This survey also shows that as children grow older, their alcohol and drug use becomes more frequent, as apparent in the number of grade seven children who had experienced drinking alcohol (49%), as compared to the percentage of students in grade nine who had tried or used alcohol in their lifetimes (75.2%).

So why are our children drinking alcohol and doing drugs at such an early age? It could be the influence of the media, alcohol and drug marketing schemes, easier access to drugs and alcohol amongst youth, or it could be the result of peer pressure. We’ve all been faced with difficult choices in social situations. We all remember the first time we were offered drugs and alcohol and felt the pressure from our peers to participate, even if it was against our better judgment. Sometimes, giving into peer pressure results from not having a socially accepted reason to not partake. “I’m not allowed,” or “My mom will find out and ground me” may not be initially respected by youths who are experiencing a sense of burgeoning independence from parental control. Children face being teased, labeled and ostracized for abstaining from popular activities amongst their peers, and often enough, as shown from the above statistics, these popular activities include the illicit use of drugs or alcohol.

When your family commits to a drug- and alcohol-free home, a support system is created that may provide your children with the strength to withstand peer pressure and just say no when faced with alcohol and drugs in a social setting. And, not only will your children feel morally supported by the decision made your family, they will be held accountable for their actions by the regular use of home drug testing. Whether you choose as a family to test for drug and alcohol use through urinalysis, saliva analysis or hair follicle analysis, your family members will know that they have to be accountable for their social activities, and that they have a responsibility to those they love to stay clean.

So the next time your child is out with friends and alcohol or drugs are introduced to the group, your family commitment will provide him or her with a simple, respectable reason to abstain from participating. Maybe, one night your child will think or say “No way — my parents test me,” and that will save your child’s life.

]]> http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/23/feed 0 Testing Urine for Drugs and Alcohol http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/13 http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/13#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:56:21 +0000 admin http://drugtestkits.ca/blog/?p=13 Drug testing urine or also referred to as urinalysis is the most common type of drug and alcohol screening.

You can screen urine and test for drugs and alcohol by using two different methods.  The first and most commonly used is laboratory testing.  The sample of urine is collected in a specimen cup and sealed with a tamper resistant tape or in a tamper proof container. The cup is then sent by courier to a testing laboratory where it will be tested for drugs and alcohol.

The second type of drug and alcohol testing is home based test kits.  These kits allow you to test for an array of drugs and alcohol in the privacy of your own home.  They can be purchased easily and can screen for as many as 10 different types of drugs.  Although not as accurate as laboratory tests, home based testing can provide you with results in less than 5 minutes and are considered acceptably accurate for home use.

This is a list of some of the drugs that can be screened by a home urine drug test:

]]> http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/13/feed 0 Our Blog http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/46 http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/drug-testing/46#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:15:15 +0000 admin http://www.drugtestkits.ca/blog/?p=46 Welcome to Drug Test Kits. This Blog has been started to answer some questions and to provide news, ideas and general information about drug testing. Thanks for visting

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