School district to use Breathalyzers at prom
Students wearing heavy perfume could fall subject to alcohol/drug test
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

UPPER FREEHOLD — When prom-goers are greeted at the door on June 3, it will be for more than just a welcome.

The Upper Freehold Regional School District has purchased a Breathalyzer to use at the junior/senior prom, which is being held at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village in Princeton.

Allentown High School (AHS) Principal Christopher Nagy told the Board of Education at its May 18 meeting that if necessary, the Breathalyzer will be used at the prom.

“When it comes to the issues of alcohol and drugs,” Nagy said, “young people are challenged all the time.”

He said other schools had been able to keep the problem of alcohol consumption prior to proms at a minimum with the use of the device.

“It [the Breathalyzer] will be administered on an as-needed basis, not across the board,” Nagy said.

Any student who refuses to take a Breathalyzer test when requested will not be admitted to the prom, Nagy said.

“A refusal is [considered] the same as a positive,” Nagy said, citing language in title 18 of state school law.

“The language is wide enough for us to use it in this particular capacity,” he said.

A letter will be sent home to the parents of students attending the prom, explaining the possible use of the Breathalyzer.

Parents and chaperones will greet students at the front door, Nagy said. They will try to detect the smell of alcohol or marijuana on prom-goers. Students wearing heavy perfume, perhaps to camouflage the odor, may be asked to take the test.

Nagy said police will be stationed at specific doors of the facility. If students leave the building, they must be accompanied by a police officer. If they leave unaccompanied, they will not be allowed back in.

Schools Superintendent Robert Connelly said the district contacted its attorney about the legality of testing students with the Breathalyzer. Legal counsel informed school officials to send a letter home and to hold an assembly regarding the situation.

“It [the testing] is not meant to embarrass,” Connelly said, adding that prom attendees who fail or refuse the test will have to be picked up by a parent.

“We won’t let people who tested [positive] out on the road,” he said. “We’re on strong legal grounds to do this.”

An assembly will be held the day of the prom, during which students will review the Breathalyzer and its use, as well as the potential consequences a positive test for alcohol or drugs will have.

When board member Stephen Murphy asked if the district could impose the Breathalyzer on a prom-goer who did not attend AHS, Nagy said all prom-goers must adhere to the same rules, and all guests must comply.

Board member Sami Qutub said any student testing positive would be underage. He asked if the state’s legal intoxication standards would apply to students.

Nagy said that while the Breathalyzer would give an indication of consumption, no numbers would actually appear.

When Murphy asked whether the Breathalyzer would be used at other school events, Nagy said the district was not currently looking for a further application of its use. Nagy said that in certain random drug-testing cases, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students, not their schools.

Connelly said that AHS Vice Principal Brian Myslinski believes this is an effective tool, regardless of whether anyone tests positive.

Connelly said the Breathalyzer’s effectiveness will be evaluated after the prom. School officials may consider using it at other events, he said, if it is deemed to be a good deterrent.

Nagy said the school has the right to administer urine or blood tests to students suspected of being under the influence during the school day or at school functions. If the test turns out positive, the school has a set of criteria for the student to meet, which includes attending substance abuse counseling and providing a doctor’s note stating that the student is not a danger to himself or herself and is healthy enough to be in school.

Although AHS received recognition last year for having one of the most effective drug and alcohol prevention programs in the state, alcohol consumption is still a problem.

At the past few proms, officials determined that some students had been drinking, according to school officials. This year, officials also had to suspend some pupils for drinking on a school-sponsored ski trip.