<p>It’s on hand at our HS proms but administration reports it is infrequently used: the student must be displaying some behaviors that meet criteria for administering the test.
Many parents want the breathalyzer used on everyone as they walk in the door at the prom. I think it’s way over the top to test every student like this. My D who doesn’t drink, tells me to stop making such a big deal about it: “do the test and let me get out on the dance floor.”
I find the testing to be too invasive and I think she should think twice about submitting to such examinations so easily.
Do your schools use the breathalyzer extensively at dances/proms?</p>
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<p>I would agree with this high school student. I guess the only ones who might not, are the ones who are drinking. Otherwise…why is this a big deal??</p>
<p>I don’t know about a thing like that. Is it calibrated correctly, and do you do you know if the person testing has read about how to use it correctly? I would think that if you did not drink alcohol you should not have to worry, but I would want to be assured of that fact. Is it 100% reliable all of the time? Is the equipment up to date? I would have lots of questions about people who are not really trained in this area running these tests.</p>
<p>One more thought…Might this encourage the use of other drugs? Can you pass the breathalyzer, but have smoked pot, for example?</p>
<p>NEMom…we had actual police officers at our prom to administer the test, to be sure that things were up to snuff.</p>
<p>Personally, the only thing that bothered me?</p>
<p>I would rather have them breathalyze all of us on the way OUT. That way they know no one is driving drunk. But that’s just me.</p>
<p>woody-I think most of us wouldn’t care because we haven’t been drinking, and it only takes a minute or two. If I haven’t been drinking and the same test is being given to everyone, why should I care?</p>
<p>They didn’t do this at my Ds’ HS and I’m glad they didn’t. My Ds don’t drink and I’d just as soon not have them subjected to this for the sake of a small percentage who actually show up at the prom drunk. Most can fairly easily be spotted anyway. It’s ‘after’ the prom when more of the kids will go get drunk unless they return home right away.</p>
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That’s my thinking as well. The only problem is that it’s probably hard to tell someone who’s excited about prom and dancing from someone who’s had a couple of drinks (but isn’t falling-over drunk). It’s still not a policy I feel comfortable with. Random breathalyzer testing would be better than testing everybody and would have similar results, but I still don’t like the idea of testing someone who’s showing no signs of drunkenness.</p>
<p>Ha… my school never did this and probably never will. The teachers and administrators are all very much aware that almost every student shows up at least slightly inebriated; the only action you must take to assure them you are fit to attend is that you must walk down the line of senior teachers and admins. Serves the dual purpose of being kind of a cool symbolic gesture and gets rid of kids who are falling-down drunk.</p>
<p>But a breathalyzer? That’s ridiculous, in my humble opinion.</p>
<p>some things could make a false positive-
[Health</a> & Nutrition by Michael R. Eades, M.D. » Low-carbers beware the breathalyzer](<a href=“http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/low-carbers-beware-the-breathalyzer/]Health”>http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/low-carbers-beware-the-breathalyzer/)</p>
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<p>Yes. The breathalyzer is designed only to measure blood alcohol content. Although as the post above points out any test for any substance will always have some substances or circumstances that can result in false positives… hence why the breathalyzer is really only a field test and, if a prosecution is to be made, must be followed up with the much more reliable blood test. </p>
<p>This issue (especially where the police were involved) does raise some interesting legal questions… especially considering that some (many?) of the people at the prom will be 18 (and hence not minors). You can’t just submit someone to a breathalyzer test because you feel like it… that constitutes unlawful search. So the blanket screening of everyone is legally questionable. However I imagine in those cases (to get around that) they may have made this screening part of the requirements for buying a ticket and thus making it part of the contract of the ticket.</p>
<p>Obviously I think the prom should be monitored for alcohol, but I think blanket screenings are too much. Since such testing would almost certainly have to be announced in advance then if someone wanted to get high they’d just use something else.</p>
<p>Rocketman, thanks. This is just what I was thinking. If you use some other stubstance to get high, you can very likely pass the breahthalyzer. This can be a falsed sense of security for administration and parents, IMO.</p>
<p>I think it is actually a good idea to make students take a Breathalyzer test at prom. School administrators only do this because they don’t want students drinking and driving. For those who feel it is invasive, would you still feel that way if you were driving home and a fellow classmate who had been drinking crashed into you? What if a friend drank and was killed in a car accident driving home? Would you still argue that students should not be forced to take Breathalyzer tests at prom?</p>
<p>D & S’s school “rolls the dice” with breathalyzers at proms/winter formals/dances…
One lucky number (between 2 & 12) is picked at start of evening. EVERY kid walking in the door rolls the dice. If you roll the “lucky” number, you win a breathalzyer test! So, completely random (but they will test if obviously impaired).
To my great delight, D has rolled the “lucky” number for ALL but one event! ha ha!</p>
<p>Rocketman-yes, when we turned in our Prom Contracts, there was a clause that we understand that we may be required to take a breathalyzer to gain entrance to the prom.</p>
<p>tang007…that’s exactly what most of us thought. 
It’s well worth the momentary test to avoid as many drunk driving accidents as possible (limos aren’t all too popular here, most kids drive themselves).</p>
<p>Well, at my school, everyone went in a limo which forestalled any drinking and driving issues. Obviously I wouldn’t be happy if people were drinking and driving, but the fact is that drinking and driving are two separate actions, and I have no particularly problem with the first so long as it is not in concert with the second.</p>
<p>1of42…that’s great that everyone went in a limo at your school. Around here, though, it’s almost the opposite. I saw all of two limos arrive while I was at prom. So for us, it really is about trying to keep any drunk driving accidents at bay.</p>
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The assumption is that a signifacnt number of students drink excessively prior or during the prom and then drive. It’s not necessarily the case. If they end up drinking after the prom somewhere the breathalyzer doesn’t do any good. I think having the students walk between the vice principals and other admin at the door and adequate restriction from access to alcohol while at the prom will be a reasonable deterrent.</p>
<p>My D’s private school had police officers at prom & they could administer breathalyzers if necessary. It wasn’t necessary at her prom. However, this is the policy at all school dances & a couple years ago a girl was given the test & failed (she was obviously wasted, according to D & friends). Her parents were called & she ended up going to another school. She did not HAVE to leave the school, but she DID have to go to alcohol counseling in order to stay in school … this was the second school she was kicked out of for alcohol violations … instead of getting their kid help, the parents just moved her to another school. I wonder about her from time to time, hoping she is okay.</p>
<p>Our public schools have police with breathalyzers at prom, as well. Last year, 3 boys got caught by the breathalyzers & there was a real scandal. The parents were furious that their kids were made to take breathalyzers (even though the signed prom forms stated that this was a possibility). They went to the local paper, and it made front page news. Obviously, underage drinking is okay … but schools trying to make sure rules are followed is not.</p>
<p>Some parents need to get a clue.</p>
<p>They instituted breathalyzers at proms in one nearby town after 100 kids were drunk at a homecoming dance were caught drunk, and at another town when dozens of kids were so drunk they required hospitalization. Limos are pretty common around here, but the drinking in some schools is so over the top, I don’t blame schools for feeling drastic measures are needed. My son didn’t attend his prom so I’m not sure what rules they had, but drinking doesn’t seem to be as big a problem in our district as some, though I’m sure some kids drink. (They don’t seem to make the papers at least.)</p>
<p>My high school also brought in police officers who could administer breathalyzers, and they made sure that we all knew about it! That said, it was a small school and I don’t know of anyone who was actually given a test. </p>
<p>Bear in mind that this might be at least part “scare tactic”. Does it work? No idea. But at my own school, I was under the impression that they hoped to scare kids out of coming drunk more than they wanted to catch and punish them for it. As far as post-proms go, parents were sent pretty basic letters just requesting/advising that they be vigilant. </p>
<p>I do understand the privacy concerns, but these measures stem from real problems that do warrant attention. And it’s a bit of a lose/lose for the schools, anyway…they’re either going to be accused of invasiveness or ignorance. IMO, better to err on the side of caution where this particular issue is concerned.</p>
<p>hmm…at my prom (yesterday :D), they had police officers with drug dogs (!!). And the school hosted a big after prom from 1-5am in which they gave away prizes to EVERY kid that attended, so most people went to that. It’s a pretty good idea imo as it keeps the students from doing anything they shouldn’t.</p>