Teens Forced To Take Breathalyzers To Attend Prom

Seniors at Whitman-Hanson High School had to prove their sobriety by taking a breathalyzer test before prom.
WBZ



KINGSTON (WBZ) ― After the school had to deal with alcohol issues at the Junior prom a couple weeks ago, seniors at Whitman-Hanson High School in Kingston had to prove their sobriety before they could enter their prom Friday night.

School officials didn't want to take any chances so they decided to bring in breathalyzers for the seniors.

After arriving in fashion and style Friday night, the seniors waited in line to take a breathalyzer test before they could enter.

"If that's what they need to do to keep people safe – I wouldn't want one of my classmates out there drinking and driving," said senior Lauren Bernazzani.

The seniors Friday followed the junior prom two weeks ago when sixteen students were caught under the influence and were suspended. It's a hard lesson learned at the school.

"Some people are stupid, and I don't want stupid people at my prom ruining it for me," said one senior.

School officials say it wasn't an easy decision but it came down to safety whether the students were driving or not.

"We really feel we've been painted into a corner to do whatever we can to protect these kids," said school Superintendent Dr. John McEwan. "There's nothing worse for an administrator or teacher than getting that phone call that someone was in an accident or worse."

The point was already driven home when the school sponsored a mock crash showing the worst nightmare of prom night. But prom night is for memories and some find it all a bit intrusive.

"It sounds like they don't trust us," said senior Becky MacDonald. "Just because other kids did it I don't think they should think that we would."

But school officials hope they've made students think before arriving at the prom and they hope the lesson stays with the teens after they leave.

http://wbztv.com/local/prom.breathalyzers.sober.2.732110.html

Its about time that a high school finally steps up with something like this.

We had those when I was in high school...and a receiving line. So instead of drinking kids were taking "e" and other illicit drugs...Those don't come up on breath tests.

The only problem with doing the test before the prom is that most kids are drinking AFTER the prom!

You'd be surprised how many teenagers pre-game...

Wow! How fascist is this? I would have reconsidered attending my prom had they pulled something like that there.

I guess that you have no value for their lives or the lives of the innocent people that may be injured or killed from their actions.

Another smart statement from the great Grasshopper

You guess wrong about my values and your assumptions about me are wrong as well.

Should we then repeal the second amendment?

Should we then force everyone to suit up with helmets and neck gear like nascar drivers every-time they enter an automobile?

Should we force people to be supervised with protective padding and handles in the shower for all the injuries that happen there? Should we force people to be supervised while cutting bagels?

Should lifeguards start giving tests to insure that children have not eaten one hour before they enter the water?

Should we impose seat-belt use on public transportation?

Should we censor or burn books?

Should we censor or quash any free speech just because some might think it's subversive to what they see as acceptable?

No thank you! I'll keep the 1st amendment rights, 2nd amendment all all other subsequent ones!

Where does it end?

This is suppose to be a free democratic republic, not some totalitarian state! If I'm ever blessed with children I don't want them to live under some regime like that, within such a society! Hell no! Too many good many and women have died so we wouldn't live under communism, fascism or even a monarchy where a few or one is dictating the rules for all. No thank you! Many are still fighting so that we do not live under totalitarian theocratically fascist regimes.

If this were ever to happen at my kids school. I'd tell them to organize as strong as the strongest union and if management doesn't doesn't reconcile the values upon which the constitution lives with their own sense of of a need for security and public safety then they should abstain from attendance and hold their own prom in the form of a private party not sanctioned by the powers that be. I'd be happy to provide security free of charge as I'm sure other cops would as well. I'd rather have the swat working the detail in full tactical gear then have then have presumably innocent children or teenagers be forced to be violated in such a manner just so that some may have their irrational fears alleviated. I'm sure at the prom without breathalyzers there would be far less of a subsequent collective consumption of alcohol than there would be at the one with. I'd far rather my children do something like that than have those such as them who are presumed to be innocent have to have a device imposed upon them testing their bodies! If you treat children or teens like criminals then they will become criminals. Turing our country into a communist state or a fascist regime will not make us any safer (and if it will that's sure as hell a price I'm not willing to pay for my safety or security).

As usual you are comparing apples with oranges with your half mile post.

Your fingers type and type and say nothing but pure BULLS**T

Why don't you just go and find your own private island and proclaim
yourself QUEEN and leave MassCops alone and make everyone HAPPY.

"Apples and oranges" and "pure BULLS**T"??? Uh, no. Well I guess that's your opinion

"Why don't you just go and find your own private island and proclaim
yourself QUEEN and leave MassCops alone and make everyone HAPPY."

You might want to stop insulting cops or even entire departments on a "Masscops" site. You're a civilian on a police officer website. I believe it was in the rules (correct me if I'm wrong...someone else please...someone credible) that civilians are not to be disrespectful or insulting to police officers on this site. I can take whatever you throw at me but reading how you jumped onto or created a bandwagon through which you berated someone who seems to be a retired cop for his sexual preference and even made fun of an entire police department for it's geographic location (San Francisco). That was just wrong...

From the thread of "California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban"

“join the gay by the bay pd”

"I realy don't like smoking the pipe like you do, so I will decline on the party, but I would love to take a truck load of your group for a ride that you would never forget.
It might scare you straight LOL"

A civilian putting a retired cop down because he likes men and insulting an entire police department because their city has a large GLBT population and on a Masscops site...I don't think that that's very appropriate nor does it seem to be following the rules of this site or upholding them...as I believe a moderator should.

You're a moderator.. an authority on this site. When some are breaking the rules such as yourself and moderation is not occurring then it's not exactly beneficial to a site to which potential officers come for information and others come for healthy discussion of differing points of view.

So too is it not beneficial to this site if you are banning members who are sworn police officers when said persons had not been breaking the rules of the site.

You are a rookie cop not a seasoned veteran as you like to think you are.

Enough said now is the time to shut up and learn or you soon may be an
ex-rookie with your know it all attitude.

You have insulted many seasoned officers in your short time on MassCops.

For your information SFPD has been known as the gay by the bay department for many years it is not something that I thought up.

Like you have been told by many members if you don't like it here
don't let the door hit you on the way out.

As far as banning you have broken many more rules of this site on
your short time here than the most senior member.

Now that you both have gotten that out...let's try to get back to the topic:


Grasshopper - I completely disagree with your opinion on the prom thing...but clearly our opinions differ. I want my kids and their friends safe...and I would let a school do whatever they think will keep my children safe. I have one on the way and I will do anything in my power to protect him or her.

Not sure how long you've been on...or what you've seen...but I've seen MVA's with underage kids who have been drinking and it terrifies me. Last one we had was almost a fatal...driver ended up getting both his ears ripped off, part of his scalp was flapping around, broke his clavicle, but otherwise was fine....everyone else in the car sustained larger injuries. That is the last thing I want to happen to my kids because it's "prom night"....

Censorship is one thing. Protecting lives is another. The amendment is one thing. School's protecting children is another.

I had two friends die on the way home from prom, Killed by a couple who left the prom after they had been drinking, Maybe this would have helped...
Although there is room to argue that we should or should not pursue this type of regulation at our high schools, the benefit may be there. Besides they shouldn't be drinking anyway if underage.

I couldn't quote your whole post because it would have broken the internet, but I have one question for you:

Are you against OUI Sobriety Checkpoints for adults as well? Because that is probably the best comparison you could have made out of that nonsensical list, yet you did an end run around it.

I am sure that the kids had plenty of notice, and unless there were 21 year olds at the prom, no one had their legal right to drink trampled on.

How's the view in the Ivory Tower?

edit: Wait until you have kids... Just wait. You don't even have a clue the length you would go to keep them safe.

I don't have any children yet, but when I do if the school they goes to has this security for prom you can bet I will be standing at the door making sure every kid going in takes the test.

- Multiply this one million times and it fits just right. You never know 'til you know...

I was just thinking...are you serious, or just trying to rile up the natives? If you're just stirring the pot, it was kinda clever. If you're serious, I think you are ignorant beyond belief and you should come back in about 5 years when you have some real world experience under your belt. I'm sure you will have some new points of view once you scrape a couple kids off the roadway.

There's nothing quite like telling parents that their kids are never coming home.

If I had my way there would be a breathalyzer every day before entering school over the 8th grade, also a Police Officer with a drug sniffing dog walking the halls in every school. Call me old fashioned or a little strict but thats how I feel.

I know firsthand how many kids want to pregame...everyone knows what happens on prom night but this really does help keep it all in one place with fewer kids driving around impaired. Even if the school doesn't do it the rumor still always spreads around and there's still the "what if" factor. I really couldn't have given a shit less if I had to take a breathalyzer on the way in to my prom.

Which nobody would do because that is WAY more work than not pregaming and taking a simple brethalyzer.[/quote]

Kids would make a far bigger deal out of the SWAT cops there than the brethalyzer...

100% wrong. It's gonna happen after prom regardless, the only thing that would stop it after prom is prohibition of alcohol all together. However this way at the very least ensures all the kids will make it to wherever (and from my experience once kids go to wherever they stay at wherever for the night until they're good to go the next day).

Every kid that I know who has gone (or is going) the criminal route has been going that way for quite awhile. A brethalyzer isn't going to all of a sudden make kids become criminals, that's the absolute dumbest statement I have ever heard. Adding a brethalyzer at prom isn't going to make America turn into Nazi Germany, it's going to help make sure we all come home safe.
All of this is from firsthand experience as a recently graduated high school senior. You can throw around statistics and things you learned all you want but this is the way it is, I know firsthand.

Too bad so sad. A school administrator can administer the breath tests and should be covered by New Jersey vs. T.L.O.

In my short career, within the area of the city in which I work (and without mentioning ongoing cases and with my career having begun about a year ago just about all of the crimes I have responded to would be ongoing), I've seen quite a variety of things that would be considered otherwise shocking and bodily injuries and or deaths comparable to those you had mentioned as I'm sure I'll see much more as well. Other classmates of mine, though they too have had short careers, and though they do not see the variety that I see they have seen the most brutal of things happen to children being in areas in which large amounts of gang activity transpires. Some of them work in or around the area so affectionately referred to as murder mile. Those in neighborhoods with a propensity for gun violence are not installing more bars on their windows. They're not sending their kids to school or the prom with body armor.

Protecting children is one thing. Protecting teenagers is another. Adolescents thrive upon rebellion. Have some of you forgotten what it's like to be a teenager? You throw a rule in front of them and many will jump at the chance to break it. You throw a breathalyzer in front of them and that will be be one big new game of insurrection for them. Policies such as these just breed subversion and promote unhealthy behaviors.

There is something to be said for subjectivity but I'd rather not make policy decisions based upon knee-jerk visceral reactions. I'd rather remain objective.

I've got plenty of "real world experience" thank you. That is a fairly presumptuous as well as ignorant statement. Because I have an opinion that differs from yours then that presupposes that I lack "real world experience. Already on the job I have had to be the one to tell relatives that their loved one had passed and how.

Kids would make a far bigger deal out of the SWAT cops there than the brethalyzer...

100% wrong. It's gonna happen after prom regardless, the only thing that would stop it after prom is prohibition of alcohol all together. However this way at the very least ensures all the kids will make it to wherever (and from my experience once kids go to wherever they stay at wherever for the night until they're good to go the next day).

Every kid that I know who has gone (or is going) the criminal route has been going that way for quite awhile. A brethalyzer isn't going to all of a sudden make kids become criminals, that's the absolute dumbest statement I have ever heard. Adding a brethalyzer at prom isn't going to make America turn into Nazi Germany, it's going to help make sure we all come home safe.
All of this is from firsthand experience as a recently graduated high school senior. You can throw around statistics and things you learned all you want but this is the way it is, I know firsthand.[/QUOTE]



Okay, so having recently graduated high school you can surmise who out of your peer group was going to elicit criminal behaviors for sometime? That is a very dangerous mentality. Do you fancy yourself an armchair psychologist already?

Or maybe keeping them from attending the prom all together would have helped as well?

Or possibly we should lower the drinking age back to where it was, then there maybe less illicit behavior derived from teenage rebellion and a mere satisfaction with breaking the rules?

Whether they may or may not I'm sure will be contested by constitutional layers and determined within the courts.

Grassshopper, I cant make up my mind if you are Satan herself or the most intruiging person ive come across in a while, your like a massive car crash, I find myself staring at but wish I never saw...

I'll take that as a compliment and you can find out yourself as long as you're buying from the lobster pound he next time I'm around Seabrook *wink*

I can handle that....