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Scope of tolerance

The recent trend of schools establishing a "zero tolerance" towards drugs
and alcohol is admirable and makes sense.

But there is a point where it goes too far.

In Portland, Ore., a 13yearold kid was suspended from school because he
took a swig of Scope mouthwash to get the bad taste of the school lunch out of
his mouth.

A security guard at Parkrose Middle School saw Adam McMakin take the bottle
from his locker, swig and swallow. The next thing you know, he was suspended
for a week.

But school officials say the mouthwash violated their zerotolerance policy
for alcohol and they're just trying to make sure things don't get out of hand.

The poor kid said the lunch that day tasted kind of bad, and since he didn't
have a place to spit, he simply swallowed after squishing it around a little.
"They could have just warned me and I wouldn't have used it any more," he
said.

The boy's mother, who found the punishment a little excessive, said she was
aware that Scope contained some alcohol, but was unaware that amount was 18.9
percent. At that level, she said, it should be regulated by the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms instead of the Food and Drug Administration.

This is not the first time common drugstore items have gotten students in
trouble. Students around the country have been suspended for sharing such
items as Alka Seltzer and Tylenol under these stricter rules.

Drugs are a serious concern and measures must be taken to address the
problem. But let's give it a break, huh?