Spencer Police Department to offer drug testing kits

Parents who have concerns about their teenagers and drug use now have a tool to rule out a problem or to get the help they need.

Beginning July 1, the Spencer Police Department will have a drug kit on hand to test for five different controlled substances.

The cost of the kit is $10. The test is administered in the home. Parents will be responsible for following the directions.

"They have the results in 5 to 7 minutes. It's a urine specimen," Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson said. "The test strips are built into the lid. All they do is tip the lid on its side and in 5 to 7 minutes the test strips will be activated. If it's a positive result, they'll see that. If it's a negative result, they'll also see that."

The kits test for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and amphetamine.

The Spencer Police Department is not interested in what the results indicate. Officers will only get involved if the parents want law enforcement to investigate the source of the drug supply.

"It is a family matter and it's not our intent to make it our business unless they request us to do so," Lawson said.

Should a positive test be indicated, officers also will help the parents identify options regarding counseling and treatment services.

The test results are reliable, but preliminary -- faster results have a greater margin of error compared to test administered during a doctor's visit.

"This is just a pro-active opportunity for us to assist the parents in a potentially damaging family issue if it's not caught early," Lawson said.

The department has 25 kits on hand.