Halifax Authorities Introduce Anonymous Drug ID Program

Halifax, N.C. — A new program is designed to help parents investigate their children's drug use without fear of their children being prosecuted.

TimeOut, a program introduced Tuesday by the Halfax County authorities, allows parents to anonymously send drug samples to the sheriff’s office for high-speed analysis at no charge. Parents are then notified anonymously about the results.

The process allows parents to confront family members and privately seek treatment and counseling, without any fear of prosecution or awareness on the part of law enforcement officers.

“We hope that parents across our county will take advantage of our TimeOut program to rescue their children from the devastating effects of drug abuse,” said Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Frazier. “Most drug abuse begins early, when children and teens begin to experiment with illegal substances as early as middle school. Sometimes, parents have their suspicions but no proof.

"Using TimeOut, they can intervene with evidence on their side and perhaps prevent an addiction,” Frazier said.

The program is being made possible with the use of a new drug-testing instrument called the NarTest NTX 2000. Halifax County is among the first North Carolina counties to test the instrument.

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Latest Comments

Need to do this one in Wake Co. I have a child in high school, and she's alwasys talking about kids high at school or going to get high afterwards.

mslisac363
April 25, 2007 8:40 a.m.

hmm... you do realize this is not drug testing children but actually drugs?

so let me get this straight. the county decides its "ok" to have parents possess illegal nacotics, barbituates, marijuana, etc. just as long as they are intending to have it tested? im sure any officer pulling them over will understand.

Better yet, are they supposed to mail it?

tritech
April 24, 2007 10:31 p.m.

This is a great idea. However, parents should be able to have their children drug tested without fear of prosecution anyway. We cannot, in this day and age, keep a constant watch on our children. As in my case as a single parent both of my children, who are moddle school and high school age, are at home by themselves until I get home from work. My daughter in middle school had a classmate be expelled for selling prescription drugs at her middle school.