Student suspended for driving drunk friend home

[Spectral]

This strikes me as a pretty nutty story, capturing neatly the reason that zero tolerance policies are bad ideas and how carried away the moral panic about teen drinking is at some schools.

Erin Cox was sober when she picked up a drunken friend from a party, but that didn't matter to officials at Cox's high school in North Andover, Mass. They demoted the volleyball star from team captain and suspended her for five games, punishments that Cox and her family have fought unsuccessfully so far.

The trouble started a little more than two weeks ago when Cox took a phone call from the friend, who was too drunk to drive home from a party in Boxford, Mass., CBSBoston.com reported. Cox drove to the party and went inside to get her pal, arriving just before police, who charged several of the teenage party-goers with underage drinking.

Cox was not among those charged. Police agreed the 17-year-old senior honor student had not been drinking and had not possessed alcohol.

This is a classic example of creating bad incentive effects. The idea that high school seniors can be stopped from drinking is, frankly, delusional - what happens after will be a consequence of policies to some extent, and this policy will actively encourage people to behave worse, not better.

[smelltheglove]

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...hment-deserved

already in progress, i know the title didnt exactly give it away though

[Nzx]

What? Associating with people who drink is now something worth punishment? If anything she deserves praise and recognition for having the foresight to go and pick up a friend who could make a mistake while in a bad state.. Sometimes news makes me really, really mad

[Vizardlorde]

Punishing the girl who did the right thing and probably saved lives... genius

[Spectral]

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...hment-deserved

already in progress, i know the title didnt exactly give it away though

Oops, my bad. I browsed thread titles real quick and didn't see it

[itslen]

It's silly. When I was in High school, the officials always said things like "If you DO get drunk, call someone!". Here we see that someone did the right thing--and called someone--and they get in trouble. It's pretty ridiculous and this sort of thing is why I refuse to put my daughter in actual school when it comes time. I will homeschool.

[smelltheglove]

Oops, my bad. I browsed thread titles real quick and didn't see it

yeah, your thread title was a lot more informative as to what the thread was about (something i prefer).

OT: i have no idea how any rational person can decide it's a good idea to punish a sober driver for getting drunk people home safe

[Darsithis]

Already have a 5 page thread on it:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...hment-deserved