Prom Goers Must Submit to Breathanalyzers

Promgoers to be Tested for Alcohol

ARLINGTON, Texas, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Students attending proms in a Texas school district will be administered tests for alcohol before they are allowed admittance. The new policy was adopted Thursday night by the Arlington school district to combat teen drinking.

Breathalyzer and other sobriety tests will be administered to students as they show up for the proms. Students will also be given a litmus test to detect any alcohol in their systems.

School Superintendent Lynn Hale said the tests are "simple and nonintrusive" and will ensure that students can enjoy an alcohol-free prom. Parents will be called to pickup any student whose alcohol level is above zero. The student will also be placed in alternative education for the remainder of the year.

Some students have spoken out against the new policy, saying it violates their constitutional rights.

The district began developing a new drinking policy after a zero- tolerance plan imposed by Hale was overturned in court. The action came after a 16-year-old girl reported she was raped at an off-campus drinking party attended by more than 75 students from an Arlington high school. ---

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Copyright 1997