Brittany Greer March 24, 2009 Journalism
As she is decked out in her gorgeous, shiny blue floor-length dress with silver heels and silver jewelry head to toe, a junior at Hunterdon Central Regional High School arrives at her Junior Prom only to be escorted to a separate room right away. Unaware of what is going on at the moment and what is to come, she questions what is occurring. Told to breathe into a Breathalyzer and remain in the room until it registered, the anonymous student was in shock. Why was she being Breathalyzed? Did the school have any right to do that? Were they suspicious of her? Was anyone else going through the same thing tonight at their prom; their Junior Prom!? When asked how she felt about being randomly drug and alcohol tested during her special night she felt very angry towards the staff. “I felt like it was an invasion of privacy and was somewhat against my will. I did not appreciate the humility of being pulled out of prom to be Breathalyzed,” the anonymous student said. Do students have the right to turn down a drug and alcohol urine or swab test while they are on school property or at a school function or event? It seems that there are many different views and opinions on this, but what is the correct answer? Many questions are left unanswered: Why the need for drug and alcohol testing? Is it in fact random? Aren’t the punishments a bit severe? Is this an invasion of privacy? Here at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, majority of students give consent to be randomly drug tested if they participate in clubs, sports, and/or activities. If students are under suspicion of drug and/or alcohol use they are allowed to be drug and
alcohol tested. Consequences for testing positive for drugs and/or alcohol are as followed: for first offense temporary suspension of activities, five in school suspensions, five drug and alcohol education classes, and five student assistant counselor meetings. Rich Monacchio is a student assistance counselor (SAC) at Hunterdon Central Regional High School who has been at the school for nine years and has much experience with drug and alcohol testing at HCRHS. When asked what the point of drug and alcohol testing at prom and school events were he was well aware. “They are to act as a deterrent because many students are concerned about getting tested positively for drugs and alcohol,” said Mr. Monacchio. One may wonder how this process works. “The students are selected randomly, via identification cards at any given random time during prom or the event. They are brought to an individual room,” said Mr. Monacchio. “The student is either Breathalyzed and/or mouth swabbed. The consequences for testing positively for alcohol and/or drug use are as followed: five in-school suspensions, five Student Assistant Counselor meetings, five drug and alcohol awareness meetings, temporary suspension of activities and the student’s parent must pick them up from prom or the activity or event,” Mr. Monacchio said. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that drug testing programs are ineffective and inaccurate. There are many ways to beat the tests and many people will go out of their way to make sure they have a clean drug and alcohol test. The ACLU site states “Because urine testing is based on an analysis of metabolites associated with the drug in question, and because alcohol and cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine all pass through the body within twenty four to forty eight hours, leaving no metabolites,
marijuana is the only substance that is easily detected with urinalysis. Drugs that have a more significant impact on employment or work performance, such as alcohol and other illegal drugs, are not effectively tested for with urinalysis.” The American Civil Liberties Union Drug Policy Litigation Project (DPLP) believes such drug testing policies to be both invasive and counter-productive. Involvement in extra-curricular activities has been shown to be one of the most sure-fire ways to keep kids out of trouble. Overall, it seems that drug and alcohol tests at prom and other high school events and activities are simply wrong and immoral. Why question someone’s personal preference for the use of drug and alcohol when it does not involve anyone else but the person them self. It is not fair to humiliate a “random” student and take them out of the activity to drug and/or alcohol test them. It is not fair to the student and only causes students not to want to participate in school activities and events.