In family law, a parent is not tested unless the parent consents (commonly both parents will agree to drug testing in a custody case) or someone convinces the judge that there is evidence that a parent has a serious drug problem (more than casual use). I don't envision a large scale testing program designed to catch casual drinkers or drug users. That's what I intended to communicate.
Plenty of parents drink alcohol while children are in their care. Alcohol is the most commonly abused and socially accepted drug. The drunk mother's SUV crash killing her children and nieces is the tragic result of serious drug use. She chose to drive with the kids in the care without caring about the consequences (typical drug addict behavior). If someone knows that a parent has a drinking problem they should report it to child protective services so that parent can get appropriate treatment and the children can be protected in the mean time. My state has a mandatory reporting law that applies to ALL adults.
I'm not concerned about casual weekend users. I'm concerned about parents with a serious drug problem that impairs their ability to care for a child. These are the people who end up before the courts. The courts are overwhelmed enough dealing with these parents. Hope that makes my comment clearer.
