While one in five high school students admitted to being under the influence at school according to the New York Daily News, former Fossil Ridge High School Student Resource Officer Mark Larkin said he doesn’t believe student intoxication at football games is an issue for Poudre School District.

“There aren’t a lot of cases, no,” Officer Larkin said of the number of students who are either talked to about intoxication or ticketed at games.

Looking at past years ticketing numbers due to intoxication, Officer Larkin said he hadn’t seen an increase or decrease compared to now. “I’m trying to think if we even had a single case last year,” said Larkin. “I don’t even remember writing a citation.”

Officer Larkin said he works four or five cross-town football games out of the season; he said he sees no difference between the different high schools’ student intoxication numbers. He also commented that the football game, whether homecoming or between rivals, had no effect on the number of tickets being written.

“It’s not specific to who you’re playing, or homecoming, or whatever,” said Larkin. “There’s more potential for [student intoxication] on a Friday night game or a Saturday night game.”

While Officer Larkin might not believe student intoxication is a problem for FRHS, cheerleader and FRHS junior Nikki Peck said, “I see about 50/50 [sober and intoxicated students]. Half of the fans are either [drunk] or talking about being drunk or the other students who have been drinking.”

A FRHS senior who wishes to stay anonymous stated that “I see quite a bunch [of drunk students], especially sophomores and juniors,” while alternatively, an anonymous sophomore reported, “I don’t see a lot of drunk students at games, but I hear people talking about it all the time.”

High school football game security is tightening across the country. Derby High School in Topeka, Kan., is testing its students’ breath at football games using a breathalyzer. If intoxication is suspected, FRHS policy states that if a student is demonstrating behavior consistent with being under the influence, they will be contacted by the Dean of students after the game. If a student is acting particularly rowdy, their parents will be called and they will be escorted from the game.