Yarmouth High School students may face blood-alcohol tests

Apr 04, 2012 12:00 am

http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2012/04/17/students-will-be-tested-alcohol-yarmouth-high-scho/119845

YARMOUTH — High school students could be asked to exhale before dancing as the School Committee considers conducting blood-alcohol breath tests at school dances.

"This is more a deterrent than a 'gotcha,'" Superintendent Judy Paolucci said about a proposed policy to "administer Breathalyzer tests to students while on school property or at school-sponsored events."

The proposal will be discussed Tuesday, April 10, from 6-8 p.m., at a policy committee meeting. The meeting at the school district office at 101 McCartney St. is open to the public.

At that point, Paolucci said students will also be asked their opinion of using the devices, which estimate blood-alcohol levels from breath samples, at the school or school-sponsored events.

A draft of the policy created as an amendment to the district policy on substance abuse provides guidelines for testing all students entering a school event or individual students who show signs they have been drinking before or during school events.

A positive test or refusing to take a test would lead to parental notification and discipline conforming to the existing chemical use policy.

Paolucci said she "is not a big fan" of using the test, but the discussion is needed to determine if it can make school events safer. She said she would like to hear from students at the policy committee meeting because the atmosphere may seem less formal.

These parents are stupid if they allowed this to happen. Is this school that dangerous? can't you pick out the drunk students from the sober ones?