A new plan to crack down on student drinking is under deliberation in Sarasota County. School officials are deciding whether to do Breathalyzer tests on students at school events. This plan developed after several principals made the request. Sheila Weiss with the Sarasota County school district says breathalyzers would be a preventative measure. She says the district is not alone:

“There isn’t a school district in this country that wouldn’t like to stop teenage drinking, and it’s really not just a school district problem, that it is also a community’s problem, and family’s problem. We need to all work together to help prevent students from thinking that alcohol is a way out, a fun beverage to partake in. It’s just something that we all need to work together to help one another put a damper on students drinking.”

An incident during an off-campus Valentine’s dance earlier this year also helped fuel the plan. Several students allegedly drank before the dance and then beat a disabled man in the parking lot. The district’s policy on security and number of chaperones did not change as a result.
Many school districts nationwide conduct breathalyzer tests on students before activities.