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Why are the Olympics Still Using Urine Alcohol Testing?

drugtest — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:41:24 +0000

Twenty-four of the 2004 Olympic athletes were either thrown out for doping violations before they competed or stripped of their medals after they competed. That is the biggest number of violators of any previous Olympic games. If the Olympic committee is finding more and more performance enhancing drugs in athletes, and those being the ones they have caught using the current system isn’t it time for a change?

Drug Follicle Hair Screening

The latest and most accurate alcohol detection drug service testing is drug and hair alcohol testing using drug follicle hair testing. Developed by a group of German and English scientists, there is no other test quite like it. The ability to test people weeks and even months after they have abused drugs or alcohol can be found using this new drug follicle hair screening. The test is non-evasive, cost effective and considered valid under European and American courts.

A certified nurse will collect the small hair sample, taken from the base of the scalp and take or send the hair sample to a lab for testing. Once in the lab, certified professionals will perform a series of evaluations and different tests to look for special markers in the hair that only show up when there is alcohol or drugs in the bloodstream, the more markers are present, the more alcohol or drugs are consumed. As the hair grows, it absorbs special markers called fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE’s) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) into its structure, which remain in the hair indefinitely. The more markers there are the more alcohol or drugs one has consumed. In conjunction with the urine alcohol testing just before or just after an athlete has performed would be the EtG alcohol testing and drug follicle hair screening. With the EtG test, abuse can be segmented into months, whereas urinalysis can only prove accurate levels of abuse within hours and at the very most, a week with diluted results.

As for using this method for testing strictly alcohol abuse, urine alcohol testing can’t detect accurate results for the reason that alcohol leaves the body in hours and minutes alone and makes it extremely difficult to judge how much a person has consumed and how long ago it was that the person consumed it. Therefore, hair alcohol testing is great because it shows a history of abuse, or lack of abuse going back weeks and months instead of hours. Alcohol hair testing may not be as important of an issue for the Olympics’ as testing performance enhancing drugs, using drug follicle hair testing, but knowing the background history of the testers or judges themselves is very important. One thing is for sure; we cannot promote or tolerate drug use in the Olympics or in any athletics for that matter. If we are determined to forbid cheating academically, we should be determined to forbid cheating in something as prestigious as the Olympic Games. With more reliable and accurate drug and hair alcohol testing technology, it would be insulting to the contenders who work so incredibly hard to win gold medals without performance enhancing drugs to let a cheater squeak through because the Olympic committee is still relying on the older technology testing.

8 Tips on How Home Test Kits Can Benefit You

drugtest — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:00:20 +0000

Home test kits should not be totally relied upon as a substitute for a CLIA approved laboratory, but in certain settings they provide advantages over traditional laboratory testing. These advantages can reduce healthcare costs, provide peace of mind and be instrumental in improving health and improving healthcare.

One of the major advantages of the kits is the convenience they provide particularly for individuals who are homebound for various reasons including illness, limited funds, or lack of transportation. Home test kits can be ordered online and are shipped to your home. The test results are obtained within minutes after following directions that come with the kit or in the case of a test requiring interpretation by reference lab, the results are mailed to you in a few days in most cases. Tests traditionally performed by laboratories usually require a needle stick and the removal of a modest to moderate amount of blood from a vein which might be painful depending on the technique and proficiency of the phlebotomist. With the use of a home kit however, only a small amount of blood from a finger puncture is needed and is generally much better tolerated than the puncture of a vein. Many of the home tests don’t require collection of blood at all, but the collection of urine, hair or saliva instead.

The safety of the specimen collection hinges not only upon the technique and the proficiency of the person that collects it, but also on the environment in which the specimen is collected. It is a well-known fact that environments frequented by sick people generally harbor more germs (primarily viruses and bacteria), particularly during the height of flu season and which will certainly be the case in the event of a flu pandemic. Not having to go to a laboratory or doctor’s office to have a test specimen collected substantially reduces exposure to infectious disease producing viruses and bacteria which might be of major importance if you have a condition which lowers your immunity.

Home test kits also provide privacy and confidentiality of test results which is particularly important for individual who live in small communities where discussions in doctor’s offices sometimes become community knowledge. This is especially true with respect to tests for sexually transmitted diseases, illegal drug use and paternity. Many are also concerned about test results ending up in a national databank which does not happen in the case of home testing.

With the burgeoning illegal drug epidemic that is plaguing our society today, a home drug testing program might be the only way of ensuring a drug free home and the linchpin of family stability, particularly if you have teenagers. Drug test kits enable you to implement and enforce a Parent and Teen Drug Free Home Agreement which could prove priceless in terms of the future direction of your family.

Home testing might also be a good initial step in helping you decide on the type of group health insurance plan you select if you have not recently been to a doctor and are concerned that you might have a particular illness which has not been diagnosed. This is important because many of the PPO and other non-HMO insurance plans have pre-existing illness exclusions which are not covered for a specified period of time or are not covered at all once the policy goes into effect. If you discover that you do probably have a particular condition based on home test result that could very well be the deciding factor in whether or not you select an HMO or PPO insurance plan. If you are planning to purchase your own insurance home testing prior to the application might be of value in validating your answers to questions on the insurance application questionnaire, and might spare you the unexpected pre-existing illness exclusions(s) if your application is approved.

The use of a home testing kit can provide peace of mind regarding environment concerns and can be instrumental in diagnosing disease related to home environment hazards such as exposure to radon gas, lead and other heavy metals. Routine screening for these health hazards is not a part of traditional medical practice because environmental safety is not emphasized in medical training and screening tests to diagnose illnesses related to them are not routinely covered by insurance companies. The health-insurance industry reimburses based on a coding system. Services, including doctor visits and laboratory testing have specified service codes or CPT codes. When a claim for re-imbursement is submitted to an insurance company by your doctor, laboratory or other healthcare provider the insurance company is informed of the reason(s) the service was provided via diagnosis codes known as ICD-9-CM codes. If a carrier processes a claim in which a listed service code is not justified by an appropriate ICD-9-CM diagnosis code, the claim is denied and the recipient of the service (the patient) is billed. Given customary laboratory fees, that charge most likely will be significantly greater than the cost of a test kit to perform a comparable test. If a diagnosis is made by use of a test kit and additional future testing for that same problem is required the relevant ICD-9-CM code can then be submitted with futures claims to the insurance carrier and who should then pay the claim. A negative environmental safety home test on the other hand can provide peace of mind that you don’t the home environmental hazard test for.

Finally, home testing can be a bridge between not having health insurance and obtaining healthcare. An example is participation in clinical research trials which afford great opportunities for individuals to receive medical care who otherwise would not be able to afford the care. All clinical trials have what are known as inclusion criteria which include the diagnosis among other variables that have to be met in order to be a participant in the trial. A condition which is diagnosable via home test kit might be the necessary data for screening and eventual enrollment in a clinical trial. Social Security disability benefits are also an avenue for individuals without health insurance coverage to obtain coverage if deemed disabled following a disability determination evaluation. Many of the evaluations are performed however without applicants having established diagnoses because their inability to afford to see a doctor and have tests performed. It stands to reason that, if for example an applicant filing for disability due to fatigue has an accompanying diagnosis of AIDS or hepatitis C, whether the diagnosis was made via traditional laboratory testing or from the use of a home kit, the likelihood of obtaining disability benefits would be greater.

In summary, home test kits provide convenience and safety of the testing process, confidentiality of the test results, increased likelihood of a drug free home, and peace of mind with respect to concerns about possible home environmental hazards. Additionally the kits might diagnose problems that would otherwise go undiagnosed and can be of benefit in obtaining medical care, whether it is in the form participation in a clinical trial or the acquisition of health insurance.

Military Drug Testing

drugtest — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:56:01 +0000

Drug testing in the armed forces in all types of the wings (Army, Navy and Airforce) is a must for each and every personal as the military has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drug use. The military services conduct several types of no-notice urinalysis drug testing. Positive results on most of these tests can be used for court-martial and discharge procedures.

Department of Defense, which is more popular as DoD is attacking the problem on the two fronts of supply and demand. Education and deterrence are the key aspects of reducing demand for illegal drugs in the defense forces.

Military Drug Tests:

To combat the rising health concern of drug abuse in the defense forces, DoD uses more sensitive tests to detect ecstasy during routine urine testing. Active duty service members must undergo a urine drug test annually. Reserve component members must be tested at least every two years. DoD labs test more than 60,000 urine samples each month, but it would be next to impossible for a mistaken positive result to affect a service member’s career.

The Drug Testing Procedure:

There are several protections built-in to the system to ensure accurate results. There is always a written record of who those individuals who access the sample. People who come in contact with each sample and what exactly they do to the sample are written on the document.

After arrival at the lab, samples undergo an initial immunoassay screening (using the Olympus AU-800 Automated Chemistry Analyzer). Those that test positive for the presence of drugs at this point undergo the same screen once again. Finally, those that come up positive during the second screening test are put through a much more specific gas chromatography/mass spectrometry test. This test can identify specific substances within the urine samples.

Even if a particular drug is detected, if the level is below a certain threshold, the test result is reported back to the commander as negative. DoD labs are equipped to test for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, LSD, opiates (including morphine and heroin), barbiturates and PCP. But not all samples are tested for all of these drugs. Every sample gets tested for marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines, including ecstasy.

Tests for other drugs are done at random on different schedules for each lab. Some laboratories do test every sample for every drug. Commanders can request samples be tested for steroids. In this case, the samples are sent to the Olympic testing laboratory at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Hair Follicle Drug Testing

drugtest — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:37:51 +0000

One of the most popular way of drug testing is hair sample drug testing as it has the capacity to detect the presence of drug in the persons body whether or not the same person has used drugs in the past 3 months. It can detect all of the major types of drugs, including marijuana, opiates, methamphetamines, PCP, ecstasy, and cocaine. It can also trace the amounts of illicit substances trapped in the cortex of the hair. All this proves that exposure area is much larger in hair drug testing. Hair follicle drug testing gives the information of an individual’s drug use history.

Hair follicle drug testing is a great way to detect the presence of drug in the hair of an individual undergoing the test. The process is quite simple and easy and requires a sample of hair in order to accomplish the test. Once a hair sample of the suspected individual is collected it is preserved in a sachet and sent to a partaking laboratory for drug testing. Hair follicle drug testing is fast and provides more accurate result than any other drug test forms. Hair drug testing discrete and confidential and so parents can collect a strand of hair from the pillow of their child if they suspect them to take drugs without allowing them to know before making accusations and take necessary steps to stop their child from further abusing drugs if they are found to use drugs. Thus by employing hair drug testing in the home, parents can safeguard their child against drug abuse while keeping the same issue confidential.

Even employers can request a sample from their employees if they are found to behave abnormally so that they can take proper action against them to keep the working environment healthy. Such drug testing programs although is more expensive that a urine drug test kit, but they avoid the embarrassing collection of samples like that of urine or saliva drug tests and also provide a level of accuracy that is nearly ten times that of other testing methods. All that is involved in this program is a single strand of hair and that is all. And as soon as the results are traced, you are sent notification of the results.

So you can see what kind of results you can get through hair follicle drug testing. Not only such program detects the presence of drug in an individual but also it helps to determine the level of users and the type of drugs used. The biggest advantage of such programs according to me is that such test can be done at home by parents who can safeguard their child against drug abuse while keeping the same issue confidential. And another best thing of hair follicle drug testing is that it avoids the embarrassing collection of samples like that of urine or saliva.

My Guide to Drug Rehabilitation

drugtest — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:58:18 +0000

By the time the record was released, Tyler and Perry had exited drug rehabilitation. The difference: When patients are admitted to a drug rehabilitation facility they are secluded from all the surrounding triggers and hence can stay clean with no effort. Government sponsors the use of acupuncture in drug rehabilitation programs.

This was their biggest fallout and her husband found himself in a drug rehabilitation center a couple months after the birth of his second son. The list includes residential centers, outpatient treatment facilities and hospitals with inpatient programs for drug rehabilitation. Therefore, I went to a drug rehabilitation center.

Consulting a physician or healthcare professional with experience in drug rehabilitation is a necessary step. In today’s drug rehabilitation centers, the 12 steps are at the core of their treatment programs. Only then will he react positively to the drug rehabilitation or recovery programs.

The specialized doctors in drug rehabilitation sustain that, during these multiple episodes of treatments and in between, patients should be constantly supported and encouraged by close family members and friends, in order to avoid relapses and to assure the safe and healthy reintegration in the society. But that is not what made the club drug rehabilitation priceless. Substance abuse rehabilitation drug testing can be done in treatment centers and rehabilitation centers.

My first job as a counselor was at a drug rehabilitation center called One Day at a Time. It will aid in deciding on the appropriate drug rehabilitation program that you will benefit the most from. Drug rehabilitation can be an arduous process, and you or your loved one deserves the best possible help available to help you navigate this difficult time with success.

Christian drug rehabilitation proves to be highly effective because the alcoholic is able to feel a higher power and the whole community, helping him to overcome the destructive addiction. Keep in mind that drug rehabilitation treatment programs should include a continuing care program that supports and monitors recovery. He re-entered a veteran’s hospital drug rehabilitation program, started attending church, and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

In 2002 over a quarter million individuals entering a drug rehabilitation program reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse. These can include anything from drug rehabilitation to nursing homes to prescriptions to ambulance service.

Government sponsors the use of acupuncture in drug rehabilitation programs. For those who wish to get help with their drug addiction, there is several drug rehabilitation and treatments centers scattered throughout the country. Abused children, minority education, battered women, drug rehabilitation, food banks, homeless or lost children, seeing-eye dogs, free clinics, organ donors, habitat, teen runaways – there are numerous tragedies to choose from.

Drug test kits put your mind at rest and allow you to either put the question of whether or not drug use is occurring in your house behind you or take the next step in getting your teen drug rehabilitation, prisons, funny farm or drug rehabilitation facilities. Because of that reason, the number of programs for drug rehabilitation keeps on rising year on year.

There are many reasons why a person would need to attend a drug rehabilitation program. Since there are several different types of drug rehabilitation programs available ranging from inpatient, outpatient, residential, short-term, and long-term, it helps to learn what s out there and how to choose one. So clearly, finding the right alcohol rehab program or drug rehabilitation center can make all the difference.

Drug Testing, State Laws, Workers Compensation: Do It Right or Suffer the Consequences

drugtest — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:56:42 +0000

Follow Your State’s Drug Testing Laws

“Why drug test?” — compliance, safety, health, workers’ compensation advantages, preventing liability. “Why train supervisors and employees in the employer’s drug testing program?” compliance, safety, health, workers’ compensation advantages, preventing liability. Employers who drug test experience a 51% reduction in workplace injury rates within two years of implementing a drug-testing program. A company might find itself unable to take advantage of workers’ compensation discounts if its supervisors have unwittingly fallen out of compliance with a particular state’s drug-free workplace program. Some states have “presumptive denial of benefits,” meaning while a properly executed drug testing program can make a workers’ compensation claim dissolve, the company could lose the advantage if a supervisor failed to follow that particular state’s laws for post-accident testing. In a recent Ohio case a manager was hit with a $1.6 million judgment when one of his employees caused a death at work. (workersxzcompxzkit) And you, the employer must understand and implement the laws in every state and U.S. territory where you conduct business.

By special arrangement with The Center for Drug Test Information (CDTI), readers can view current statutes and regulatory rules for state drug testing laws, where applicable. See Drug Testing and State Laws at www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/drug-testing-state-laws.php to read each state’s drug testing regulations.

The source of this information is the state regulations and/or case law in each state and U.S. territory. The information is normally kept current and usually updated twice a year.

Be aware, however, statutes and case law may change more frequently. Check with your own attorney or corporate counsel to make sure the information is current and applicable to your situation. (workersxzcompxzkit).

For more information about how drug testing state laws may apply to the states where you conduct business and the services available from The Center for Drug Test Information (CDTI) call 1-877-423-8422, or email: centerfordrugtestinformation@yahoo.com.

For more information: ReduceYourWorkersComp at http://www.reduceyourworkers.com

DISCLAIMER: Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel before implementing a cost containment program.

© 2009 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Drugs & Alcohol in the Airline Industry

drugtest — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:40:38 +0000

Most of us know that U.S. airlines require strict background checks and alcohol tests before anyone can work on an airline. The FAA requires alcohol detection drug service testing as a way to make sure that mechanics and other workers working on the airlines are safe and are providing safe transportation to passengers. After all, many passengers take airplanes each day, there should be strict regulations in place. An alcohol testing device can be used at random as well as drug testing done at random intervals to ensure workers are staying drug and alcohol free.

While it is good these regulations are in the place for U.S. airlines, they don’t extend to foreign repair stations certified by the FAA. This could be very problematic. After all, do all drug and alcohol problems disappear overseas? It’s doubtful. So, why isn’t the FAA regulating all aspects of airline maintenance? If 9/11 told us anything it is that there are bad people in this world out to get us, and they are not all homegrown. We need to be diligent in our safety.

Every year, the FAA finds an unfortunate number of pilot, mechanics and other workers that have been compromised and are violating alcohol and drug safety rules. Further, there are probably even more each year denied employment because they can’t pass the strict rules in the place. However, it is scary to think that these rules are being violated so much when our safety is concerned. However, it is even worse to think of those repair stations that simply don’t test at all. Where is the wisdom in that?

What can the government do to make sure these foreign repair stations are meeting the same expectations as those on U.S. soil? They should take the time to put in place the same guidelines, to level the playing field and to make sure that with all repairs the American people are going to be safe when flying. We would all like to rest a little easier knowing that we are flying with equipment that has not been in impaired hands.

It’s too bad that abuse of drug and alcohol is so prevalent in so many areas of life. From our schools to our work places to our homes to our transportation, it seems that no area is left untouched. While regulations and strict protocols won’t solve all our problems it is a start. It will help work places and others weed out people who can’t do their job safely. By hiring and keeping on people who aren’t following a strict background check, alcohol testing and drug testing guidelines, the safety of many lives is on the line. That is simply unacceptable.

It seems to always take death at the hand of a drunk driver to make people remember and want to impose rules and regulations on alcohol. Why wait until an airplane crashes because of an impaired technician or mechanic? By taking the time now to impose these strict regulations it is going to make a long lasting impact. The quality of work being done and the quality of workers being hired is going to improve if they know that the guidelines are strict and are going to be enforced across the board.

We all want to feel safe when we get on a boat, train, automobile or plane. The government needs to seek to find safe ways to uphold and put in place safety protocols that will ensure transportation is as safe as it can be. Let’s not wait until a catastrophe to get the job done.

Employee Drug Screening To Prevent Drug Abuse At Workplace

drugtest — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:54:01 +0000

Hiring an employee who is reliable and responsible is the key to a company’s success. But nowadays appointment of a new employee is no more a simple affair. There was a time when you just need to spot the right person and a quick reference check with the previous employer was enough to verify the credentials of the prospective employee. Nowadays, such a hiring policy may cost your business dearly.

Drug abuse has emerged as a serious problem in the workplace and as an employer you can’t afford to ignore it. According to a study one in 10 employees in the U.S. uses illegal drugs and knows very well how to beat drug tests. Drug prevention experts believepre-employment screeningcan combat the epidemic and ensure better working environment. In a survey conducted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration nearly 16.4 million Americans use illegal drugs, and most of them hold down full-time jobs.

The number of drug users is highest in foodservice industry closely followed by construction industry. Drugs and alcohol are the major problem faced by employers nowadays. Employee who is used to drugs and alcohol usually does not turn up to work and are more prone to workplace related accidents.

In a recent survey conducted by The Society for Human Resource Management reveals that nearly 90% of HR professionals strictly adhere to extensive background screening of prospective employees. A phenomenal 30% increase from a mere 60% in 1995. The growing trend of employee screening seems warranted as the survey also exposes that almost 42% of job applications contain fictitious or twisted information.

Apart from verifying the credentials of the job applicant and drug screening, background check is needed to unearth any criminal records and history of substance abuse. As an employer either you can conduct an in-house screening or hire the services of a professional background screening company. Most of the companies offer these services at extremely competitive rates and usually offer the report with 2-3 days which enable you to take qualified decisions quickly. The reports are precise and bias-free. Moreover they also guide you through state and federal regulations along with the legalities involved in the process of screening. Hiring the services of professionals is advisable as it will enable you to get the legal immunity in case something goes wrong.

Therefore perform the background and drug screening with due diligence and get rest assured that your employees will be genuine assets to your organizations.

Evolving a Drug Free Environment in your Workplace

drugtest — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:16:35 +0000

A drug-free workplace is a protective workplace. They are linked to drug-free and happier families, school and communities. Working Partners ensures a drug-free and secured environment for everyone and helps the employers and employees work together. They also play a vital role in reducing the drug use and end the social, economical and emotional destruction in its wake.

Drug-free workplace

It is working environment free of the health, productivity and safety hazards, which are caused for abusing drugs, alcohol, or any such substances by the employees in that workplace. To attain a drug free workplace, many companies are developing various drug-free workplace programs. Usually, these programs include five components: Drug free workplace policy, Employee Education, Superior Training, Employee Assistance and Drug Testing. However companies don’t include all the five components, it is suggested to explore them when developing the program.

Reasons for Establishing a Drug Free Workplace

The law may require your workplace to be a drug free environment. If you are in a government organization, or if you have a transportation industry or if you are billing for more than $ 25000 per annum, then the Law requires you to have a drug free workplace.

Though the law doesn’t require, there are other reasons for establishing a drug free workplace. They are:

• It reduces operational costs.

• It can preserve investor or shareholder interests.

• It can protect loyal employees

• It can improve products and services

• It results in better service to customers and clients

• It can increase your profits.

• It helps many people lead healthier lives

Tools and Resources for Drug Free Workplace

To develop a drug free workplace, there are certain tools and resources that the employers can adopt. They are:

• Drug-free Workplace Advisor: It is a tool used to develop tailored drug-free workplace policies and programs and informs companies and workers about its requirements and coverage.

• Substance Abuse Information Database (SAID): It is an online repository of various documents related to workplace alcohol/drug abuse and legal information.

• Resource Directories: It has the updated lists of local, state and national resources such as, Summaries of state laws related to workplace drug and alcohol abuse, Helplines that assists the individuals who have the alcohol/drug problem.

• Training and Educational Materials: Resources to provide drug and alcohol education in the workplace such as, brochures, presentation materials, articles and fact sheets and posters. They also include, statistics about how substance abuse impacts the workplace in general and across a range of industries.

This information gives you in understanding about the drug free workplace and its tools and resources. It helps you in maintaining a drug free environment in your workplace.

Child Custody GAL – Advice on How to Handle False Allegations of Drug, Alcohol Abuse, Child Neglect

drugtest — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:41:40 +0000

Most any parent in a high conflict child custody battle will likely have felt the sting of false allegations at some point. These types of allegations are deeply disturbing and hurtful not to mention the harm they can do to your custody visitation schedule. In some states a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) is used as an advocate for the child when allegations have been made against a parent. The GAL’s responsibility is to investigate the allegations and make a recommendation to the court.

I recently had a request from a father to help him sort through the process of dealing with false allegations being investigated by a GAL. Thos allegations were, drug abuse, child neglect, and alcohol abuse. Here is the advice I gave him.

You have three excellent things going in your favor.

1: You don’t do drugs.

2: Your ex has repeatedly requested you take the child in the past.

3: Alcohol is legal (and you only drink lightly and occasionally).

Temporary visitation schedules have a way of becoming permanent. I would build my strategy around removing that temporary visitation barrier.

First thing that you can do is ask the GAL f they have come across any information that they would like to ask you about or that they need clarification on. What you are looking for is dialogue that plays to the known allegations or new allegations. You do NOT want to be blindsided later on.

Let’s assume they ask you about drug abuse. Even if they don’t you should bring it up. You can tell them that you are not a drug user, never have been and that this is a tactic by the mother. I would go so far as to flip false the allegations to be concerned for my child. I would suggest they are just like me and if she cannot cope with me, then how will she react to them as they get older? A legitimate concern.

The reason I bring that up is that allegations of abuse, drugs, alcohol, etc are taken seriously by the authorities. And rightly so. Appreciate their point of view. They aren’t trying to be mean to you. They just want to protect the parties from injury. As concerned as they are about getting to the truth, you can flip that and use that concern to your advantage.

You see the point is that you can prove you don’t use drugs, using alcohol is a bit different but then it’s legal, BUT the you have proof she has made allegations. If she uses a tactic to pretend she is concerned about something she knows to be false, then what other lengths will she go to? She has already tried to damage the relationship between you and the child by making false allegations. Now YOU have the legitimate concern that she has handed you. In many states false allegations can result in losing custody.

I went a bit in depth because I want you to get your head around it. You will not likely get to explain it to the GAL, but if you understand the point you want to make and why, I think you’ll be in good shape.

Now you should understand that if you go in and say, “I’m concerned about the temporary visitation schedule and I’m willing to help in any way I can. I would be happy to drug test for you today if that would help. “I’m concerned that if she is angry enough to falsely accuse me of using drugs instead of finding a way to cope with me, then I don’t know how she would handle the child when they do things that remind her of me.” the GAL should then make the connection from her allegations and to her.

You see if you go with concern for your child, leave no stone unturned, I want to help, I’m not angry, I’m just concerned about our child. That attitude alone should benefit you.

Now let’s do the list.

#1 Suggest that the GAL present the mother with the idea of court ordered random drug testing twice per month at her expense (unless of course it’s positive). Make sure they tell her that she will be required to pay that expense until the child is 18. Suggest that the mothers reaction will tell them everything they need to know.

#2 Take email, text messages, anything that shows she has asked you to take the child for additional time. (If this is part of a court process you may need to give copies of documentation to her before seeing the GAL – You can always add other stuff to her pack so that she can wonder what you’re going to do with it?). The point here is that if she was really concerned about child neglect, drug use, drinking, these would have been issues years ago and she would not have asked you to spend more time with your child. The things she has accused you of did not pop up overnight. They are long term issues that she would have been well aware of. Also, question why she didn’t call child protective services years ago? Was she really concerned?

#3 I assume you don’t have any DUI’s. That being said, offer to not drink when you have the child. Period. No matter how much you love a beer or two, figure out what’s important to you. I’m guessing time with your child.

What you should have done by this time is convince the GAL that they need to talk to mom and confront her to see her reaction. She will not want to pay $100/month for a test she knows will be negative. Why do that when she can do nothing and leave doubt?

Finally, ask that you be given back the time you lost due to the investigation so that you can rebuild the bonds with your child.