Over the past four years, about 15-20 students have been caught under the influence at a school function. The students were caught with the use of a Passive Alcohol Sensor flashlight.
The Passive Alcohol Sensor is made by PAS Inc, a company that makes many different kinds of alcohol detection devices that have been used by correction facilities and law enforcement as well as in schools.
Principal Jon Schultz said the flashlight’s purpose is to keep functions, like dances, safe more easily because it’s not intrusive to students. It works just like a regular flashlight, but when a button is pressed, it turns into a device that can detect alcohol in the air.
The flashlights were purchased by the Rockwood Drug Free Coalition and are mainly used by the police officers and administration at all major functions and dances, as well as sporting events.
Schultz said the PAS flashlights suck in the air and analyze it for traces of alcohol. If the flashlight identifies the air by a student or group of students to be laced with alcohol, the administrators then take the students to have more thorough tests done.
“I wish underage people wouldn’t use drugs, but this tool may be a deterrent for some students. We need to give students reasons to avoid using alcohol,” Schultz said.
The price tag for one of these units is about $700, and is a passive way to establish probable cause without the active involvement of the student, according to the PAS Systems International website.
“Like other detection methods for illegal substances, it should only be used when there is probable cause or alcohol checks points already in place,” Olivia Raney, senior, said.
Other than the flashlights, School Resource Officer Joe Early said security at games hasn’t really changed.
“Every event is different,” Early said.
At big events with lots of people, something like a football game, there are usually five officers’ stations at various places, such as the parking lot, the field and the gate. At other events, like dances, the number of police officers present varies between one and five people depending on the amount of people in attendance.
Early also outlined the policy that would allow a student to enter back into school if they had been caught under the influence.
Early said MHS has an “optional” return-to-school plan, where after the 10-day suspension punishment the student can chose to participate in a three part program with their parents. The program includes ways to stop drinking issues, some type of community service project to chosen by the student and random drug tests.
The program is “optional” because a student can choose to not participate. If the student doesn’t participate they receive long-term suspension of anywhere between 45 to 120 school days. The superintendent decides the amount. Early said he thinks this is a good, effective program.
Sophomore Principal Dr. Jennifer Sebold said the way the administration deals with such situations as drinking at a school function is just right.
“Alcohol use at a school function needs to be assigned major consequences. It is illegal and dangerous,” Dr. Sebold said.