Teen and young adult drug testing

Start with the right question

Parents usually call with one question: should I drug test my kid? The more useful question is what you want testing to do. Find out whether there is a problem? Support a teen who is already in treatment? Give a young adult living at home a way to earn back trust? Each of those leads to a different plan, and sometimes to the conclusion that a conversation with a clinician should come first.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a clinical report on testing children and adolescents. It cautions against home drug testing and against testing a young person without their knowledge and consent, and favors testing as part of an evaluation with a qualified clinician (AAP clinical report; AAP 2007 addendum). We take that guidance seriously, and it shapes how we work with families.

How we approach testing young people

• No secret testing. The young person always knows they are being tested and why. We will not help anyone trick a teen into giving a sample.
• Talk first. We prefer to speak with the parent and the young person, together or separately, before anything is scheduled.
• Agree on the rules in advance. Everyone should know, before the first test, who sees results and what happens if one comes back positive. Surprises are what turn testing into a fight.
• Respect and dignity at every step. Collection is handled privately and respectfully, and we explain each step before it happens.
• Testing is support, not punishment. A result is information that helps the family decide what kind of help fits.

Teens under 18: parents are part of the plan

For a minor, a parent or guardian is involved in setting up testing. We still want the teen to be part of the conversation, because a teen who understands the plan, and has some say in it, is far more likely to engage with it honestly.

Privacy for teenagers is a real and sometimes complicated subject. California has its own rules about when minors can consent to certain kinds of care and who can see their health information. We do not give legal advice. If you have questions about how those rules apply to your family, a clinician or attorney can walk you through them. What we can promise is that we will be clear with you and your teen about how results are handled before testing starts.

If you are worried about your teen, a clinical evaluation is often the best first step, with or without testing. Blackburn Clinical Services sees teens for therapy and psychiatric care, and a clinician there can help you decide whether testing belongs in the plan.

Young adults 18 and older: their choice, their results

Once your child turns 18, they are an adult, and testing becomes their decision. Results go only to the people they authorize in writing. A parent can see results when the young adult chooses to share them, and not otherwise.

For a lot of families, that turns testing into something positive. A 19 year old living at home, a college student back for the summer, or a young adult just out of treatment can use random testing to show progress on their own terms. Parents get information they can trust, and the young adult gets credit for the work they are doing. Read more about how this works for adults on our families page.

What testing can and cannot tell you

Our tests include an instant urine cup that screens for common substances such as opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines and cannabis, a breathalyzer, an EtG urine test for recent drinking, and saliva testing on request. Positive screens can be sent to a partner laboratory for confirmation (how confirmation works).

No test tells you everything. The National Institute on Drug Abuse points out that a drug test cannot diagnose a substance use disorder and should not be the sole basis for care decisions (NIDA). A negative result does not rule out every substance, and a positive does not tell you how often someone uses or why. That is why testing works best alongside a clinician, a mentor or both.

If you are scared right now

Some parents call because something has already gone wrong. If your teen or young adult may be in danger, do not wait on a test.

If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For free, confidential treatment referrals any time, the SAMHSA National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357.

Getting started

1. Call us. Tell us your child’s age and what is going on. We will be honest about whether testing makes sense now or whether a clinical evaluation should come first.
2. Set expectations together. Agree on who sees results and what happens after a positive, before the first test.
3. Schedule by appointment. Testing happens at our Venice Blvd office Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, at other Blackburn locations on the Westside outside those hours, or at home through mobile testing for an additional fee.
4. Use the results. Your coordinator explains each result and helps you connect with more support when it is needed.

Our guide should I drug test my teen? goes deeper, and how monitoring works covers the process step by step. Costs are kept low; see what affects the cost.

Need more than testing?

Testing is the first step, not the last. These programs are built to help young people and their families with what comes next.

• Therapy and psychiatry

  Therapy and psychiatric care in Los Angeles, including for teens and for young adults.

  Blackburn Clinical Services

• Mentoring

  One-on-one mentoring for accountability and structure, for high school students and up, with a consistent mentor who checks in and helps them follow through.

  Blackburn Mentoring

• Sober living

  Sober living and sober apartments in West Los Angeles for adults who need a structured place to live.

  Blackburn Recovery Services

• Scholarship help

  Treatment scholarships through our nonprofit, for people who need care and cannot cover the full cost on their own.

  The Blackburn Foundation

Your monitoring coordinator can make the introduction.