Hoping to keep teen dances and and school athletic events under control, officials in Sarasota County, Fl., are deciding whether to do Breathalyzer tests on students attending those gatherings, the Associated Press reports. Principals made the request, which is being evaluated by attorneys. ”The issue is one basically of searches,” said Art Hardy, legal counsel for the county school board. “Certainly schools have more discretion than, say, the police do. But I didn’t find anything specifically addressing that point.”
”Our biggest problem is alcohol,” said Barbara Chomko, the executive director of secondary education for Sarasota County. Several districts nationwide have put similar policies in place. In Carlsbad, N.M., students were randomly tested for alcohol consumption at the high school prom. In Little Rock, students suspected of pre-prom drinking at one high school were subjected to Breathalyzer tests, a zero-tolerance approach that arose from problems at previous proms.
Link: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/12563534.htm