Emily nearly lost access to her baby because of a hair strand test. Experts fear she's not alone
Emily faced a legal battle for custody of her daughter after a hair strand test indicated high levels of ketamine, despite her claims of sobriety. Experts are concerned that such tests may not accurately reflect an individual's current drug use due to various influencing factors. The case highlights the complexities and potential biases in hair strand testing used in Family Court proceedings.
- ▪Emily, a former ketamine user, nearly lost custody of her daughter due to a hair strand test result.
- ▪The test indicated active drug use, which Emily disputes, claiming she had been sober for months.
- ▪Critics argue that hair strand tests can be affected by hair type and environmental factors, raising concerns about their reliability.
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Emily nearly lost access to her baby because of a hair strand test. Experts fear she's not alone7 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSanchia Berg,Anna MeiselandMary O'ReillyGetty ImagesFile photo showing strands of hair which can be used for drug testingWhen social workers asked a mother to submit a sample of hair for a drugs test, she thought it would prove she was clean and sober.But it turned out to be the start of a legal battle to regain custody of her daughter.Emily - not her real name - was a former ketamine user, whose habit had resulted in her baby daughter being taken into care at the end of 2022.In the six months since then, she had made a determined effort to put her substance abuse behind her.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at BBC News — UK.
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