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Imagine coming back from your lunch break at work, and being subjected to a breathalyzer test. Would you be offended, embarrassed, angry, or guilty of drinking during your lunch hour?
Now, imagine if you were a high school student, that was dismissed from school for a doctor’s appointment, and thenreturns to classes; or maybe you missed your bus and came in late to school, so now you are subjected to a breathalyzer test. Would you feel any different?
Monday night Foxboro schools unanimously voted to battle the “7-10” disciplinary alcohol related issues that they have each year by administering breathalyzer tests to any student that they feel “may” have been drinking. Administrators now have the authority to administer a test to students for absolutely NO reason other than they were tardy to school, or if they returned to school after a dismissal.. The test may be administered during the school day or during extra curricular activates.
If a student refused the test, he or she will be subjected to “disciplinary action” if the test registers 0.02 or more, the student will have a 5 day suspension and a 2 week suspension from after school activities.
According to the principle of the school, last year there were 12 incidents of underage drinking both in and out of the school in the Foxboro district.
No field sobriety test will be administered prior to the breathalyzer.
A number of situations could result in a breathalyzer to read a “false positive” including the use of Albuterol (an asthma medication), cough syrup, cold medication, mouthwash, breath fresheners, smoking, and diabetes, to name a few.
Foxboro is certainly taking a novel idea to fight underage drinking, however one has to question the civil rights that are being ignored, as well as the ingenuity of teens, who may just skip the alcohol and go straight to the drug use.
Comments
i was subjected to a breathalyzer test after lunch, said alcohol was on my breath for the last few days.(mind you the person doesn't speak directly too me)3 ft distance between us. I told her it was the handsanitizer she was smelling. she demanded to know what i've been eating and drinking at lunch. i told her it was not her business. no authorization form signed by me to do test had k-9 officer come over to my work. humiliated, embarressed, blood pressure so high sent home by nurse.
of course i blew a -0.00, but found out i'd been ok if it was a 0.04? any advise be appreciated , my dr put me out of work due to the stree, and i had no time left
A professional grade breathalyzer which is what a school should use if testing, will register "mouth alcohol" that can come from cough syrup, cold medication, mouthwash, and breath fresheners. If a school is going to implement an alcohol testing policy they should use a quality grade breathalyzer and learn how to administer the tests correctly. Police are required to wait 15 minutes before breath testing a suspect in order that the breathalyzer not register mouth alcohol from substances like mouth spray.
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