Breathalyzer tests before dance in school. Whatcha think?

[DMRick]

Just wondering what others think about this. Do you think the ACL (American Civil Liberties) will be getting involved? (Just a side note..one of the "drunk" kids at the last dance had a .3 reading..over three times the amount for drunk driving in our area).
Is it just a sign of the times?


Board of Education cracking down on underage drinking

Breathalyzers will be given to every student at "school name" dances from now on.

This is part of the high school's plan to crack down on students drinking. It comes after nine teens showed up at a school dance drunk earlier this month.

The school had originally decided to cancel its next dance, but they said they are now only postponing it while they rework the code of conduct.

Now if a student is caught under the influence at school or a school function, the penalty is an immediate 5-day suspension with a required parent meeting.

School officials say it's absolutely necessary.

Breathalyzers will be given to every student at "school name" dances from now on. This is part of the high school's plan to crack down on students drinking.

"School name" School District Superintendent said, "I want to change behavior. I want students to understand it won't be tolerated, and if they do there will be stiff penalties. We really want to change their behavior in school. That's the idea behind a code of conduct."

If a students is caught drinking, he or she will also be suspended from any extra-curricular activities for one month, they'll have to meet with a counselor and complete a county substance abuse program.

 

[disney junky]

I would favor it as a sometimes chaperone of school dances. I think anyone who has been there and done that would agree. The drinking age is, after all, 21.

 

[AKLRULZ]

Totally for it.

 

[DMRick]

I wonder..will they be body cavity searching next, for those who test ok on the breathalyzer test, but still want to drink? I admit, this may keep away those who drink, so they don't have to take the test...but it just seems..I don't know, like no one can be trusted anymore. I find this very sad (not to mention how it's going to be paid for. Will it come out of the art money?).

 

[monarchsfan16]

They want to do this in one of the districts in NH.
Unfortunately the ACLU probably will be getting involved

As a very recent high school grad, I can say that it is an absolute necessity. My senior year semi was destroyed by the drunks. The dance, which the year before had been just that, a dance, turned into one massive mosh pit. You could have gotten drunk off the smell of beer in the gym. And let's not even talk about the vomit that we, as NHS members (who were running the dance) had to keep cleaning up off the gym floor. Or about the girl that was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital with severe alcohol poisoning (she was 14...). I honestly don't know how everyone made it home safely that night; it's a true miracle that there were no severe accidents, when you combined the booze and the fact that it snowed 6 inches that night. I wish they'd had breathalyzers there. I hadn't wanted to go to the semi in the first place (long story); I didn't need it made worse by a bunch of idiots

My mom teaches at a high school. It has gotten out of control. They're trying to be allowed to do breathalyzer tests whenever they feel it's necessary, after one of their students was found close to death in the woods last year, with alcohol poisoning. She was 14, and went out with her friends before the school day started, into the woods to drink. The only thing that saved her life (her BAC was beyone LETHAL), was the fact that she became hypothermic before the alcohol poisoning kicked in (she was left in a snowbank essentially to die by her drunk friends...)

Now I'm sure the ACLU believes that everyone has the right to be stupid. But everyone also has the right to enjoy themseleves at the dance, or in the case of my mom's school, to get an education. When you buy a ticket to a dance you agree to conform to certain standards (aka school rules). Just like in life, if you break the rules, you need to pay. Every school has a no alcohol rule (not to mention the fact that it's illegal for minors). If the student chooses not to agree to the terms they buy the ticket under, then they shouldn't be allowed to go. Simple as that. As long as they know they will be subjected to this test, go for it. It needs to be done

 

[Just2554]

I'd say it's absolutely necessary, having just graduated from high school two years ago. I can't even tell you the amount of people that went to dances drunk, buzzed, or high. Alot of people went to SCHOOL that way. I think it's a good way to try to prevent so much underage drinking.

 

[VirtuallyMe]

I'm all for it... nothing to worry about getting tested unless you are drinking.

My dd14 is all for it too. She is at a school that will do breathalysers at their next school dance as well. And at a recent student council meeting the moderators were very suprised to have the strong support of the student council members when it was announced. You see at homecoming this year a few kids showed up drunk- sure this happens at most dances. One girl showed up very very drunk- and proceded to puke on shoes and handbags of other girls who were dancing. My dd's shoes/purse were victims- and she came home from her first homecoming with no shoes and her personal items in her date's pockets because she had to throw away the ruined purse and shoes. The drunk girl WAS a junior on the homecoming court, cheerleader, student council, key club, etc etc- she isn't anymore- she was expelled from school and her only option is the "alternative" school. Her date was from a local private school and in his drunkeness got into fights- he was expelled from his private school for his behavior at the public school dance.

Originally all dances were going to be cancelled but the school officials decided to go with breathalysers and increased chaperones especially when the students arive and to give the rest of the student body the benefit of the doubt and let them try again. DD is in full support of this and really thinks the drunk girl ruined her life- as a mom there was a lesson taught to my child in that one incident that night that I would not have been able to pass along myself.

My son had a similar incidence in his senior year of school just last year- when a limo holding several couples of the kids from the prom court was found to have about $2000 in booze on board and many of the kids were wasted getting out of the car... none of those kids were expelled (some detentions and suspensions went out but that was it) and the next dance they had- my son and his date left early because they were soooo strict they wouldn't even let them slow dance- but would play slow songs lol-

In my own experience we never had breathalyzers but I wouldn't have been offended by them. My highschool had a strict arrival time and each person arriving had to sign in and speak with chaperones before entering the dance. I did have a drunk date at one dance (the guy was 6'6" and drank one drink before we got there with our dinner and could barely stand up). I talked him through the line and we got in fine, but he was picking fights and it was a miserable time for me. Later that night his friend who was at the dance with my friend (both boys went to an all boys Catholic school) beat the heck out of him at an after party. And I found out later that when his schoolmates found out they went after him again for being a bad representative of their school- about a week and half after the dance I got a formal apology for his behavior and a dozen roses and his dad offered to take us to a really fancy night out in a city near ours- but I respectfully declined.

I do hope people don't make this a civil rights issue out of using breathalyzers- technically and offically kids should have nothing to worry about with the test because they aren't 21 yet and shouldn't be drinking. And I'd much rather see them test each and every person entering the dances then leave it to random selection and chance- which could and probably would be twisted into something of a civil rights issue.

 

[noodleknitter]

Considering how dangerous under-age alcohol and drug use are, I'd say that it is a sad but necessary step. It won't stop everyone, but is will allow those that do not choose to partake a safer and more pleasant experience.

 

[Tiggeroo]

they do this but it's not alot of help. Most kids aren't showing up drunk. They're smuggling alcohol in and drinking it in the bathrooms during the dances.

 

[noodleknitter]

they do this but it's not alot of help. Most kids aren't showing up drunk. They're smuggling alcohol in and drinking it in the bathrooms during the dances.

True, but it still decreases the amt. of alcohol consumed.

 

[azgal81]

I dont think it would stop teens from drinking they would just drink after the dance. It's would make the dance more tolerable for others though assuming it would actually work.

 

[PghLybrt]

I think it is a horrible idea. I do not think it is a sign of the times, I graduated over 12 years ago and we had similar problems. All it is going to do is force those kids to find other places to do what they want. Same goes for testing student athletes. The ones that really need the structure and support of a team atmosphere will be left out and on their own to find other ways to fill the void. What a way to say we don’t trust you at all!

 

[noodleknitter]

Enabling students to use doesn't do anyone any good. Not athletes, not students, and surely not the students whose functions are ruined because of drunkeness.

 

[golfgal]

I graduated over 20 years ago and they had breathalyzers at our school dances. Not everyone got tested but if they suspected you had been drinking they tested you. If you tested positive they called the police and then called your parents to go see you at the police station. We didn't have a problem with drinking at our school dances because of this, not that some kids didn't drink but it didn't become a problem.

When I was in 7th grade, different town, different district, a bunch of girls showed up plastered, 7TH GRADE!! They were barfing in the bathroom all night. I hope they had a lot of fun drinking that night because I am sure they felt awful the next morning.

 

[LBAK]

Our school district has been doing this for years and it's been working OK. They called several parents to come get their kids at the prom because they were over the limit. It might not stop drinking but it's a step in the right direction.

 

[Sandy V.]

I'd be all for it. The school has a responsiblility to keep everyone safe and these dances enjoyable, and that includes those that DON'T break the rules.

Too bad for those that illegally drink and can't pass the breathalyzer test. My sympathies certainly don't lie with the rule breakers! They are a very annoying minority. The MAJORITY should be able to have fun without having to deal with the irresponsible idiots who make poor decisions.

I agree that it won't solve the "drinking at dances" issue as a whole, but it is a step in the right direction.

 

[hlbtimes2]

(not to mention how it's going to be paid for. Will it come out of the art money?).

I'm guessing they could raise the enterance fee to the event. After all, it is a cost of the event, not a cost of going to school.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think it's a great idea and here's why.

The issue for the school is liability. The kids who would come to a dance drunk are taken out of the liability picture if they are caught at the door, their parents called, and they are sent home with their parents. Then, Mommy and Daddy can't sue the school if their little drunkard happens to fall off the bleachers at the dance, because the little drunkard won't have been allowed in.

Then the school has to worry about the kids drinking at the dance, but one would assume they get enough chaperones to curtail that. Quite frankly, I also wouldn't have an issue with "spot breathalyzer" tests throughout the course of the evening too. Randomly pick kids to check. And I do mean random, so you even pick the ones you think "would never do that" because you'd be surprised.

If they drink after the dance...well, that's not the school's liability, now is it? Then the kids become their parents problem, especially if the school has done spot breathalyzer tests and can vouch for the fact that little Johnny wasn't drunk at the dance, so if he gets killed in a car accident afterwards, maybe it's because after he left the dance he went and drank a 12 pack with his buddies in the woods before he wrapped his car around a light pole.

 

[Sandy V.]

If they drink after the dance...well, that's not the school's liability, now is it? Then the kids become their parents problem, especially if the school has done spot breathalyzer tests and can vouch for the fact that little Johnny wasn't drunk at the dance, so if he gets killed in a car accident afterwards, maybe it's because after he left the dance he went and drank a 12 pack with his buddies in the woods before he wrapped his car around a light pole.

That reminds me - we used to have "delayed start" days in our school district, where the classes would be delayed for 3 hours in the morning while the teachers did in-service. At a middle school forum, one of the parents had the audacity to complain about these days because his kid, when left alone, would raid the family liquor cabinet before school started. Tried to make it out to be a SCHOOL problem, until it was pointed out to him that this was a PARENT-CHILD problem. It was also suggested that he either take the booze out of his house or lock the darned stuff up!!!

 

[MrsPete]

As a high school teacher, I can tell you with certainty that alcohol is a HUGE PROBLEM among our teens today. When I was in high school in the 80s some kids drank regularly, but not the majority of us. It's different now.

I think this breathalizer idea is a very good step in the right direction. Anything that deters kids from drinking is a good idea.

Some students will choose not to attend school functions because they know they'll be caught, but that's not something that can be helped. It's better to exclude them than to have them there giving the rest of the students the idea that it's okay to be snockered at a school function.

I agree with the above poster who pointed out that these breathalizers could decrease the school's liability. The school could prove that the kids were okay when they arrived at the dance -- if the kids have a wreck later, the school has done all it can to discourage drinking.

I do not have the impression that many kids are drinking AT the dance (i.e., in the bathroom, etc.); instead, they tend to arrive at school and sit in their cars for a long time, if you catch my drift, before they come into the building.