Exeter Police taking war on drugs to new lows

[Dave Ridley]

Exeter Police Offer Free Home Drug Test Kits

(CBS4) EXETER, N.H. Police in Exeter, New Hampshire are now providing free drug and alcohol test kits for parents to use on their children at home.

The kits provide results immediately. They contain saliva swabs to detect alcohol use and urinalysis materials that test for a variety of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. There is no charge for the tests, which started becoming available on Wednesday.

Exeter Police Chief Richard Kane said it's a necessary step in the fight to keep kids off drugs.

"We're not asking for any names when you come down. We don't need to know who you are," Kane said. "I'm not asking for results. The results are between you and your son or daughter."

This isn't the first time drug tests have been offered to parents. Winnisquam Middle School in Tilton offered the kits at the start of the school year.

The kits were acquired through the group Law Enforcement Against Drugs. You can learn more about how the tests work on their web site.

Several companies sell home testing kits online. The government has also set up web sites for parents and teens to deal with the issues and each other.

Freevibe.com is a site targeted to teens to help them deal with their peers and sort out facts from fiction.

Theantidrug.com is for parents. It helps them with issues to watch for and provides advice from other parents and recommendations on how to talk with your teen.

[Lloyd Danforth]

I would imagine that if it were important enough to the parents, they would find the kits on their own.

[d_goddard]

free drug and alcohol test kits for parents to use on their children at home.

Anybody here from Exeter care to send an LTE with a clarification of what the word "free" means?

[AlanM]

free drug and alcohol test kits for parents to use on their children at home.

Anybody here from Exeter care to send an LTE with a clarification of what the word "free" means?

I'm from Exeter. I'll have to think about this. It is so patently ridiculous, but it fits with the attitudes of the powers that be in Exeter. The Recreation Dept. gives 'free concerts' in the summertime, after all. Though it is the home of Phillips Exeter Academy, very few of the PTB know what words mean, such as free, freedom, free speech, etc. but they do seem to know what political correctness means, this week, anyway.

[Rocketman]

Y'know, this is interesting...

I don't remember do-it-yourself kits being part of the equation when I was in school.  Sure, parents should be able to buy them in the free market.  I wouldn't even get pissed if the town's mayor spoke out, urging parents to buy kits and drug test their kids (though I'd certainly roll my eyes).

But should my tax dollars be used to buy and distribute drug testing kits?  Absolutely hell no.

[PinoX7]

well if you dont like this idea I have a plan,

they dont ask for names when you go down there so,
everyone get together and keep going there every day and keep taking their kits, so every time you do that its one less kit to use on a kid, and thats one less dollar wasted on taxes.
Then you can sell the kits or something

[error]

I'm not sure that would work. The cops might think the things are in high demand and spend even MORE tax money buying even more of them, which would just compound the problem.

A sign saying something like "Buy your own drug test" might be interesting...

[PinoX7]

no, part B of the plan consists of a day when we all get together with all our drug tests, and stand outside of the building and we burn them, HAH

Just make sure you tell the fire dept and get a permit

[Fluff and Stuff]

I think this is great.  Some pro-freedom people should go down there and ask for these kits.

Someone should take drugs and then take something that is said to mask drugs.  Then do a drug test with one of these kits.  We can find out what really masks what drugs at the expense of LEAD.  If I was in Exeter I'd do that and write a college paper about it.

[PinoX7]

yeah i get it, write a paper on how to cover drugs. that would be a perfect use of free speach

[d_goddard]

yeah i get it, write a paper on how to cover drugs. that would be a perfect use of free speach

.. and would be a gorgeous illustration of what happens when the State gives things away "free"

[Lloyd Danforth]

well if you dont like this idea I have a plan,

they dont ask for names when you go down there so,
everyone get together and keep going there every day and keep taking their kits, so every time you do that its one less kit to use on a kid, and thats one less dollar wasted on taxes.
Then you can sell the kits or something

One kit?  Wouldn't you need one for each of your 10 dependants?

[PinoX7]

Yeah, and your parents!

[aries]

Wow this is wrong for 2 reasons

1- tax subisidized 'free' kits. ("oh but its out of the PD budget" yeah which will just need a raise next year eh?)

and 2 it is going to undoubtedly create drama between parents and their children. Once you test them and it comes up positive, what now? They hate you for testing them for drugs, you've found out they're on drugs, are they going to stop? Uh-huh, NO... So you've found out with this free kit... maybe it would be better if you hadn't. Or if you had taken a better approach... or looked for the signs of usage and actually appeared concerned, and sat down with your child. Basically using one of these "free" kits is a sign of bad, uncaring parenting. It's like telling your children that you don't even care enough about the potential that they use drugs to get a "real" test, you used one that may as well have come in a box of captain crunch. Drugs are dealt with in families through much better ways than using a free test kit... that will just lead to bad blood and drama

[Dreepa]

Now Matt I want you to pee in this cup.  No I trust you but the police/town/school said I should test you just to be safe.