PETITION These concerned citizens from Barrington, RI oppose Mandatory Breathalyzer testing at Barrington High School dances. A mandatory Breathalyzer testing policy presumes guilt and authorizes the invasion of privacy without probable cause. It compromises the trust and authority vested in educators to enforce a policy that is intolerant of student error. It rewards uniform thinking with inclusion and punishes dissenting points-of-view with exclusion. In the name of personal responsibility and the safety for some, it abandons community responsibility for the safety of all. Current policy provides a school dance environment that presumes innocence, respects privacy and is responsive when probable cause warrants it. Current policy values tolerance, respectfully asserts authority, includes everyone, establishes a clear and appropriate standard for sobriety, and offers every student who chooses to attend school dances medical assistance, transportation and disciplinary action when emergencies occur. Current policy reduces harm, and we endorse it.

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