Emily nearly lost access to her baby because of a hair strand test. Experts fear she's not alone
Summary
A mother named Emily lost custody of her baby after a hair strand drug test showed high levels of ketamine, despite her efforts to stay drug-free. Experts worry that hair tests, widely used in Family Court to decide child custody, may sometimes give misleading results due to factors like hair type or treatment.Key Facts
- Emily had a history of ketamine use, which led to her baby being taken into care in late 2022.
- Since then, she took regular urine tests showing she was drug-free and attended courses with a drug charity.
- A hair strand test showed high ketamine levels over six months, which surprised Emily.
- The court used the hair test results to deny Emily’s request to reunite with her daughter.
- Hair strand testing is common in Family Court cases to check for drug or alcohol abuse by parents.
- The tests work by detecting drug traces in hair, which grows about 1 cm a month, providing a drug use timeline.
- Critics say factors like hair type, chemical treatments, environment, and the way test results are interpreted can affect accuracy.
- Reporting on such cases became easier after Family Court procedures opened up to journalists with court permission.
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