Dr. Sharon Levy, a specialist in adolescent addiction at Children's Hospital in Boston, led a study that looked at eight Internet sites selling home drug-testing kits. The researchers found that the testing instructions "just too complicated" for parents to handle themselves.

"We're not telling parents to ignore the problem of drug use," said Levy. "Get help from a professional."

Levy said the study found many important details missing on how to collect usable test samples. For example, the sites failed to mention "cross-reacting" chemicals found in food and medication, or the chance of false-positive or false-negative results.

Based on the study's findings, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) plans to revise its policy statement to discourage home drug testing.

The study's findings are published in the April 2004 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

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