YARMOUTH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- After several students showed up intoxicated at the school's semiformal dance in December, Yarmouth High School decided to crack down on drinking for the prom later this spring.
After taking input from students, faculty, and administrators, the school committee voted to use breathalyzers to test all students for drinking as they walk into the prom.
School officials decided to make it a pilot program, and evaluate after the prom if the breathalyers will still be needed going forward. After getting initial resistance, students say they hope the breathalyzers will set the tone for all school events in the future.
"We're hoping that it will sort of change the culture at dances. Kids will see that dances aren't an opportunity to drink. They're going to see dances are fun without drinking," Yarmouth High School senior Phoebe Walsh said.
"People might come to prom and find out that they have a good time, and we want school dances to be a place where people can feel safe, and that sometimes in the past, people really haven't felt safe at school dances," Yarmouth junior Jackson Hall said.
The students were notified at a school assembly about the plan, and school administrators say a letter will be sent to parents outlining the decision to use breathalyzers at the prom.
NEWS CENTER