Dancing, dresses, tuxes and corsages were all a part of many high school prom experiences.

However, drinking has also been a common aspect of the fun.

Recently, city council officials in Arlington, Tex. said they want to solve this problem by proposing that students at Arlington High School take breathalyzer tests when they arrive at the dance.

School officials and some students have said this is necessary because students who show up drunk at dances have become a problem in recent years.

The Arlington City Council’s proposal has good intentions and is a good idea for students who want to have fun at a non-alcoholic event.

However, officials must not single out individuals when giving the test and must not take any bit of alcohol too seriously. Alcohol is beverage, and it should not be singled out by school officials as a social evil.

For example, what if you were overcoming a cold and had some NyQuil before you left or just came from church and had the smell of wine on your breath?

The other part of the proposal, which is determined by school officials, is the punishment.

Students who are caught drunk are kicked out of the dance and must attend an “alternate school,” which is associated with the high school, for the remainder of the school year. During their time there, students are also forbidden to attend any school functions, including their high school graduation.

This sort of punishment is too harsh for any student, drunk or not drunk. Students cannot be expected to pay for what they swallow at the prom for the rest of the school year, especially when they are caught when school isn’t even in session.

Curbing the consumption of alcohol among teenagers is a good cause. But students will drink, and the last place they should be punished for it is at prom.