In the present scenario where drug abuse concerns are high, lab tests may do little to detect the problem in individuals. Though a handful of major diagnostic service providers in the city are overwhelmed with enquiries, more than 90% of the test results show negative. Medical experts and those in the field of de-addiction services believe that the good old method of looking out for behavioural changes is still the best when compared to the medical tests.
To start with, the 3, 6 and 9 panel drug test, that is available in only a few diagnostic centres by collecting urine samples, can detect the presence of banned substances only if a person has used drugs in 24 to 48 hours prior to the test.
“The tests will not be of much help in catching a drug-user,” said P.K.N. Choudary, consultant psychiatrist, Chetana Hospitals. “In legal cases, if a person is tested at the wrong time, he can counter the allegation with the help of the report if it turns negative.”
Mr. Choudhary says getting the suspected drug-user tested immediately after a weekend or through random tests conducted during a certain period gives a higher chance to validate the suspicions of his/her parents or family members.
The tests available also do not detect all kinds of psychoactive drugs like Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), which was recently seized in large quantities by the Prohibition and Excise Department.
“Only hard drugs like Cocaine, Marijuana, MDMA, heroin and others can be detected, if tested on time. There is no testing method available in the city to confirm the intake of LSD,” said a lab director of one of the leading diagnostic centres in the city.
Raisa Luther, a psychotherapist at Hope Trust, feels if parents or family members work closely with them by keeping a tab on drug-users and observing their behaviour, it would be easy to get the person tested and tracked in the right way.
