Pro: Breathalyzers
When I originally heard that school officials were now going to have breathalyzers with them at school dances, I thought this idea was crazy. What better way to let your students know you trust them then to have a breathalyzer on hand and ready to use at a moment’s notice, right? Now, after sitting down with Dr. Callen and learning the whole story, I do not think it is such a bad idea after all.
The reasons for the change were genuine; the option of using breathalyzers is not just a power stunt to bust kids who are drunk. In the past, there have been several very public occurrences where the safety of students was at jeopardy because of students under the influence. Students who had exhibited poor judgment often had driver’s licenses. They could drive themselves and others, and did not stop to think about the damage they could do. In situations like these, the number one priority of the teachers and faculty is to keep everyone safe, and that is sometimes hard to do. Dr. Callen firmly believes that this was a difficult circumstance in which to place adults who had to make quick, on-the-spot decisions about how to handle possibly intoxicated students. They had to determine whether they had, in fact, been drinking, if they could drive, or if the police had to be notified. If there is a piece of technology that could give a clear-cut yes or no answer, why not have it?
To be clear, not everyone that comes to dances will be tested, and there will be no random tests. If a member of the staff has a suspicion about a student because of his or her behavior, smell, or an outside source, then they could initiate a test. If staff members have any reason to believe that a student is under the influence of alcohol, the breathalyzer would confirm or dispute that fact. Students in question will not be reported to the police or b e arrested for underage drinking unless they are in possession of alcohol. With that said, the school and the police do communicate frequently and have a very good relationship, so it might get back to them, but because these incidents would take place on school property, school officials would decide the course of action. The school’s goal is not to get students in trouble; they are simply trying to keep everyone safe. If any student is found to be intoxicated, they will be suspended for three days and required to go through an alcohol and substance abuse education course, a reasonable consequence for being drunk at a school dance.
Breathalyzers will be helpful in assisting staff to make accurate choices about how to handle the situation in order to assure that no accidents or alcohol-related dangers occur around the time of school dances. And that is the bottom line: safety always takes top priority.
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