Lee County’s Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) is distributing free Drug Test Kits to any parent that wants one.
The county stopped giving away the kits a few years ago due to budget cuts, but the program has been reinstated.
The JAC hopes to curb substance among teens in the area. According to a recent survey conducted by the Center, one-third of Lee County’s young people have already taken illegal drugs. Of those kids, on average they have tried marijuana by age 12.
Bill Naylor, the JAC’s manager, said drug testing kits not only allow parents to set a strict no-drug policy, but it also gives young people a way to deflect peer pressure.
“At that point in time they can relieve peer pressure by saying that ‘no, I can’t my parents have a drug kit at home,’” Naylor said. “It allows them to still maybe look cool in their eyes. Basically circumvents peer pressure around the situation.”
Naylor said the kits detect most drugs, except for synthetic marijuana and bath salts.
JAC is launching its program with about 400 kits-- and it is located on MLK Blvd. in Fort Myers.
