SOUTHINGTON, Conn. -- A gift from a previous graduating class will be used to find alcohol drinkers at Southington High School.

A passive alcohol sensor, which looks like a wand, will be used by staff to determine if a student is in possession of or has consumed any alcohol in the past 10 to 12 hours.

Administrators Look To Combat Teen Drinking

Officials said the school received equipment from a previous graduating class and has two types of sensors: a blood-alcohol content sensor and a passive alcohol sensor.

The school will use only the passive system, which is designed to read alcohol simply by waving it in front of a suspected alcohol user.

"I think that the use of the tool in an appropriate manner is a truce win-win for students and administration," said Superintendent Joseph Erardi.

He said that it will give administrators proof of whether a student has been drinking and will give students a way to prove that they are sober.

Tests can be conducted at random during the school day and the sensor could be put into use as early as next week.