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Ashley Hayes ReportingAn online company is preparing to offer Utah parents free home drug tests for their kids. They want to do so by distributing vouchers for the tests through the school systems.
The company is TestMyTeen.com. In the next few weeks the company will formally offer every school district in Utah $5,000 worth of vouchers to give to parents for free home drug tests. We went ahead and spoke with drug experts, the school systems and a former teen user about the concept.
When Zach Wooden reflects on high school, his memories don't include football games.
Zach Wooden, Former Drug User: "Morphine, things of that sort. I think I was somewhere around age 12. Heroin came along late in my last year of high school."
Zach overdosed and nearly died. His story is not unique.
Michael Riley: "I've got 30 arrests in the state of Utah."
Michael Riley abused meth for 15 years. Now he owns a drug rehabilition center in Orem. Every day he hears dozens of stories like Zach's.
Michael Riley, Owner Clear Living Rehab Center: "The problem is huge, it's massive. There's no shortage of people on drugs in Utah County and Salt Lake County and the state."
An online company wants to change that by offering free home drug tests to parents through their schools.
Craig Povey, Prevention Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health: "It could be a good idea or a bad idea."
Good in the way parents are getting involved, bad in the sense parents may not know how to handle the results.
Craig Povey: "For substance abuse prevention we need a comprehensive approach. Drug testing could be a part of that approach."
The website provides links to counseling organizations.
Zach says doing anything is better than nothing, and the element of surprise, taking the test on the spot, could work in parents' favor.
Zach Wooden: "Every time they tried to take me to the doctor for a drug screening to the hospital, I'd come up with an excuse so I could leave for a little while so I could produce some clean urine from someone else or go drink one of the detox drinks."
Salt Lake City Schools won't be interested in the offer. A district representative said distributing the vouchers would be too difficult.
Jason Olsen, SLC School District: "Giving a voucher to one student and not another, it may be perceived we are suggesting the one student has a drug problem while the other doesn't. The vouchers may be more effective if given to a peer court or drug rehab program."
Zach Wooden: "I actually graduated high school in jail."
Zach hopes no matter what comes of the tests in Utah, parents will get involved in their kids' lives so more students' high school memories won't be the same as his. Zach is studying to become a drug counselor at the University of Utah.
Weber schools say they would have to go over the offer with their lawyers. Murray schools say they would accept any presentation and say it would work well with a drug program they have in place in their school system.
