Futile attempts to keep a child away from negative influences and drug use can be difficult and heartbreaking for parents. And those seeking to test their child for drug use may face barriers in regards to their parental rights. In fact, a local area Fairfield County father discovered the limited rights parents have when it comes to requesting the administration of a hair follicle drug test. However, change may be on the way in the form of a newly proposed senate bill aimed at providing parents with the right to drug testing via a child’s hair follicle.
The Case of Jim Cruz
Fairfield County father Jim Cruz learned that Connecticut’s current laws did not provide him with a parental right to intervene in his son Kyle’s suspected drug use. When the 17-year-old star athlete, Kyle Cruz, started to exhibit drastically different behavior, Jim Cruz’s suspicions were immediately raised. He became concerned that Kyle was abusing drugs, such as prescription medications, marijuana, and ecstasy. In an attempt to confirm his suspicion, he decided to run a drug test on Kyle’s hair follicles.
However, despite having a doctor’s authorization for the test, the Cruz family was denied by the drug testing facilities to which they reached out. Specifically, the Cruz’s were told that a hair follicle test could not be conducted because the requested test was not employment related. Shortly thereafter, Jim Cruz discovered his son dead at home from an apparent suicide. The Cruz’s believe that a positive drug test from Kyle’s hair follicles would have confirmed their suspicions and would have also allowed them to get Kyle the help he needed, and thus potentially could have saved the young boy’s life.
The Current Law
On March 17th, Senator Carlo Leone testified before the state legislature, along with Jim Cruz, in support of Senate Bill 464. The bill, introduced to the Connecticut Judiciary Committee, would provide for the legal authorization of hair follicle drug tests when ordered by a licensed doctor, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician’s assistant. Before the presentation of the bill, Jim Cruz submitted a written testimony detailing the struggles he and his family faced when trying to get a hair follicle drug test for his son. Cruz details how four days after his last attempt to procure such a test, he found his son dead.
The legal right for a parent to acquire a hair follicle drug test for his or her child is an extremely important family law issue. The attorneys at our law firm are carefully watching the evolution of Senate Bill 464 in order to gauge the potential effects it may have on the rights of parents. If you have questions or concerns regarding your rights as a parent, contact the family law attorneys at our law firm in Fairfield County, Connecticut.