Controversial detection kits. (Drugs).

Mail-order drug-testing kits that can be used in the home have become available in Australia. Sold under the trade name Detect Now, the product has separate kits to detect cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. It has been available in the United States for the past year and is now being sold in Australia for $59.95. It is used by wiping collection paper on surfaces that may have been used for drug preparation, such as tables or desks. An aerosol spray then reacts with any drug residue on the swipes to produce a coloured indicator. Parents of teenagers, as well as managers wanting to maintain drug-free premises, are expected to be the main users of the kits.

Some drug experts and civil libertarians have criticised the product, partly on the grounds that it can be seen to represent an invasion of privacy -- the web site advertisements for it say that the person being tested `need not be aware of the test'. Lisa Korn, managing director of Drugscreen, denied that the product invaded privacy. `Detect Now is designed to help parents identify if their child is being exposed to drugs or drug use so they can make the difficult first step towards communication and rehabilitation.... If you don't know there is a problem, how can you help them?' she said.

The Federal Health Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge, commented that the idea of testing children without their knowledge was one that showed no trust (Advertiser, 28/5/01, p.5; Mercury, 28/5/01, p.4; Canberra Times, 29/5/01, p.5; Daily Telegraph, 29/5/01, p.9).