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CASHY PARENT ALERT! |
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Parents, April 20 is upon us – and upon our teens! Are you aware? Are you prepared? Unlike
our teen children, few parents will immediately recognize the number
“420” (pronounced “four-twenty”) as drug culture code for “April 20,”
the annual Pot-Smokers’ Holiday. But this
self-proclaimed “holiday” has become an underground tradition within
the drug culture, and has developed quite a following over the
years. (Last year, a 4/20 "celebration" at UC Santa Cruz reportedly drew 2,000+ "stoners.")
There are numerous stories purporting to explain the origin of
this dubious holiday. One, for example, says that “420” goes back
to the 1960s when a group of California teens developed a habit of
getting together every day to smoke pot, shortly after school at “4:20”
P.M. “4:20” then became code for “smoking pot” and evolved into
an annual “holiday.” But whatever, the true origin, April 20th is a time when all of us parents ought to be especially vigilant in monitoring our children and looking out for any signs of potential drug use. Watch Out For . . . 
CASHY Declares “421” to be, “TEST YOUR TEEN! DAY” Why
not take advantage of this dubious “holiday” to raise our awareness and
to take constructive precautions to protect our teens? Hopefully,
we’ve all already had clear and consistent discussions with our teens
about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Still, it wouldn’t
hurt to take this occasion to remind them once again. But, alas, all too often warnings and watchfulness just aren’t enough. For most of us, it’s hard to believe that our little angels would ever engage in such foolish and risky behavior . . . but it happens to the best of kids in the best of families. Drugs are out there. They’re pervasive. And no child, no family is immune. All manner of children get drawn into drugs for all kinds of reasons. And it’s harder than you might think to know whether your own child has succumbed to the pernicious influence. How would you know? Truth is the first casualty of drug use – users immediately learn to lie. And don’t forget how smart our kids are. If they want to conceal drug use, they’ll likely get away with it . . . until it starts producing significantly negative effects. But by then, it’s more than likely that they’ve already fallen into the frightful grip of dependency. Wouldn’t we rather be safe than sorry? So, why not take the proactive precaution of occasionally testing our teens? (Parents who are concerned about offending their child’s trust, might broach the subject by simply asking their teen’s opinion: “So, what do you think of this idea of proactively testing teens?”) Home drug tests have become readily available, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. Many drug and alcohol experts believe that random drug testing is the most valuable tool available for keeping our children safe and substance free. It helps detect a problem early-on if drug use is already established, while, if not, just knowing they’re “subject to testing” helps teens resist the inevitable pressures further down the road. Hopefully, they’ll ace this test, after which you can take them out for a truly worthy celebration. If you have ever had the least suspicion that your child may have been tempted by drugs, CASHY heartily recommends that you take this opportunity to Test Your Teen! Give them an easy excuse to “just say no.” Home Use Drug Tests Urine Drug Tests: There
are two basic types of home use drug tests, urine tests and hair
tests. Urine drug tests are easy to use at home and are available
at any local drug store. They range in cost from about $15 for a
marijuana only test, up to $40-60 for multiple drug test arrays.
Home drug tests can also be purchased online, often at better
rates. With urine tests, be aware that drugs are eliminated from
the body at varying rates, but for most, the test must be done within
1-3 days of drug use. Your best bet is to purchase a test in
advance and have it available as the need arises. Also, be
careful to ensure that the sample cannot be tampered with.
Hair Drug Tests: Perhaps an even better option is the hair drug test. The hair test has some drawbacks. It costs a bit more ($55-$75), it must be ordered online, and it takes about a week to get results. But it also has two compelling advantages. Whereas the urine test reveals whether or not the subject has used the specified drugs within the past few days, the hair test reveals whether or not the subject has used drugs within the past few months (excluding the past two weeks). Many may also view snipping a sample of hair as less “invasive” than collecting a urine sample. Hair samples are also much more difficult to tamper with, but be aware that evidence of drug use will not show up in a hair sample until approximately two weeks after use. Chemical traces are deposited at the root, day by day, and take time to grow out.
Remember . . . “420” = POT SMOKERS’ HOLIDAY “421” = TEST YOUR TEEN! DAY & "TESTING YOUR TEEN!" = Just another way of saying "I LOVE YOU!" |
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