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Drugs, alcohol and teens; it's a deadly combination and tonight Burton Police are facing the problem in their community.
Now police there are giving parents the tools to know exactly what their kids are doing.
I spoke with the Burton Police School Resource Officer and he said he noticed the problem in the schools.
Once a child was suspected of drug or alcohol abuse they would be referred to a family doctor for a test, which was way too costly.
That’s when the department stepped in to help.
It’s been one month since the Burton Police Department started selling $12 drug testing kits and $4 alcohol test to help parents stop their kids from abusing.
And already the department is ordering more.
Parents are coming from all over Mid-Michigan to buy the tests.
The drug kit does test for illegal drugs, like marijuana and even cocaine.
The alcohol kit can tell exactly what a child's blood alcohol level is.
Both tests are 98. 9% effective, the kits can be used at home.
Results are between the parents and their kids.
Officer Duplanty hopes the kits crackdown on abuse among teens.
"What we are hoping is that once the parent shows the information it will create a line of communication,” Said School Resource Officer Jim Duplanty.
“The child will say yes I have used, they can say its been a long term use or short term. Then the families can go chose the path of help they need at that point."
Officer Duplanty also said the police department hopes to get a sponsor, that way they can offer the test for free.
If you are interested in getting the tests you can call the Burton Police Department at (810)742-2542.
