Parents in Md. use dogs to sniff out drugs at home

[October 22, 2010]  BALTIMORE (AP) -- Forget urine tests, parents in Maryland can hire dogs to sniff out whether their kids are using drugs.

The nonprofit group Dogs Finding Drugs uses canines that can detect even trace amounts of narcotics within seconds.

Owner Anne Willis says parents are clamoring for the service. The rate is about $200 an hour. Dogs Finding Drugs also offers its services to companies and schools.

Similar groups have popped up across the country in recent years.

Dogs Finding Drugs will not confiscate anything, nor does the group notify police.

Elizabeth Robertson of the National Institute on Drug Abuse says parents should talk to their children about potential drug problems rather than hiring a drug-sniffing dog.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com/

[Associated Press]

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