High School to Test Students for Alcohol

EdNigma · 02-05-2007, 16:58

America the prison update.

Not to speak illy of the US; God knows she has been good to me, however to randomly test 'free citizens' for booze is a step closer to Demolition Man if you ask me.

I can understand it a student smells or acts intoxicated. However, anything 'random' is to much like Nazi Germany for me. I even think 'random' insurance/DUI check points should be illegal.

Stopping people for no reason, and forceably demanding to see their 'papers' for no other reason than for the authorities to snoop. Is NOT in the best interest of a 'free nation'. We have them also, and I still think they should not be able to do it.

I mean, if a cop rolled up 1/2 drunk he'd just get let go anyway. Thick as criminals those gangsters are.

Quote:

PEQUANNOCK, N.J. (AP) -- High school kids who illegally go drinking over the weekend could still find themselves in trouble at school a few days later.

A New Jersey school district is adopting a new policy that allows officials to randomly test students. The test they'll use can detect alcohol as much as three days after its consumption.

When students test positive, their parents will be told. They'll also get counseling, but won't be kicked off teams or kept from after-school activities.

The school superintendent believes it'll keep students from giving in to peer pressure to drink.

Officials acknowledge the tests can produce false positives after using things like mouthwash and Balsamic vinegar. But they say a student generally has to have one or two drinks for the test to register.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey calls the tests an invasion of privacy.

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Source

leobold1 · 02-06-2007, 15:11

I can see it if its part of an extra-currucular program (i.e. playing football, or a school related club).

Just doing it because they can is wrong.

Even if the school isn't going to take any action aside from telling mommy and daddy about it.

Woodmonkey · 02-06-2007, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by leobold1

Even if the school isn't going to take any action aside from telling mommy and daddy about it.

Surprisingly, mommy and daddy could just ignore it and even threaten to sue the school.

I was on my school's Drug and Alcohol Intervention Team and we had plenty of evidence (no medical test though) that a Freshman student had a disturbing drinking pattern. We contacted the parents and the father, a lawyer, threatened to sue. A couple of years later, their son was driving (drunk) and caused a serious accident.

I don't think schools should be able to do this just because they can, but drugs and alcohol use is a serious problem.

They should be able to for extracurricular activities though. They don't have to be a cheerleader or on the football team.

BrianK · 02-06-2007, 17:35

Another good example of a society that is becoming ass backwards. The role of parents is to be as aware as possible of the activities of their children.

Obnoxious & ill mannered teens are s becoming the norm. Escalation towards downright violent is gaining. Parents are doing what? Finding ways to profit as opposed to parenting. I remember the good old days when kids were more than a tax deduction.

SherryGrace · 02-06-2007, 23:34

None of y'all drank underage?

You have no clue what you missed.

Woodmonkey · 02-07-2007, 00:18

When I was in high school in France, they served me in bars when I was 15 and I was there for three years, so that was legal.

However, I did drink underage when I got to nursing school in Yakima, Washington. We went out to the Yakima Firing Range and the Army docs taught us triage - and we met up with some Tankers.

We went out with them a few times and they kept trying to get us drunk. However, the European beer insured that I could drink them under the table.

BrianK · 02-07-2007, 01:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by SherryGrace

None of y'all drank underage?

You have no clue what you missed.

Didn't miss a thing, only negative was the 3.2 beer sold in Ohio was all we could get. Major differance I think between then & now is the amount of traffic. We did crash weddings but snagging some loose bottles of hard liquor wasn't all that easy. Did learn a hard lesson about wine hangovers though.

Now that I think of it another differance was the girls that drank with us. Dying of aids or worrying about an STD just wasn't the worry it is now, or at least where I lived it wasn't. Traffic & worry about STD's have grown since way back then.

As for the affect on school work then vs. now. All anyone has to do is watch Jay Leno's Jaywalking interviews.