There is, quite rightly, major concern about the protection of young people whose parents are using drugs but testing parents for drug use cannot be the only criteria on which a judgment might be based when taking a child away from parents (Children Now, 29 March-4 April).
There are some drug-using parents who are perfectly competent and whilethis does not condone drug use it raises the question of which drugs areincluded in testing. Include alcohol and tobacco and a can of worms isopened. Measures of parental competence rather than drug use, howeverthose drugs are defined, would be better criteria.
Alistair Ramsay, director, Scotland Against Drugs.
