Northern Secondary School has implemented a breathalyzer test for kids to get through the door to the senior prom this year. It is a policy used by a number of other Toronto and District School Board high schools, but not all. Those who fail the test will not be allowed to enter the May 29, 2014 prom and their parents will be called to pick them up, said principal Ron Felsen. The decision has been taken because the school had problems with kids being intoxicated at the prom. “My first year here, I had to shut down a dance because students were drunk.” Mr. Felsen told the National Post. He said he tried a number of approaches to address the problem, including reaching out to parents, but nothing worked. One parent, a lawyer, and a number of rights organization are grumbling about the decision. “It’s a slippery slope,” said one. “If we allow little infringements of rights when on health and safety issues, where does it end?” Amid readings of the Charter of Rights and the Criminal Code the better question might be “where does it begin?” Or is there to be no beginning to the matter of minors getting drunk in school. Abbey Deshman of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association declares gravely: “A prom or a school dance is a really important part of a high school student’s life and I don’t think just saying the kids can skip their prom is sufficient reason to disregard their constitutional rights,” she said. What this sounds like is that Ms. Deshman thinks kids have a right to get drunk at a school event. She may not think that. But it sounds like she does.
