BOSTON -- Students attending Foxborough High School could soon be subject to alcohol breath tests given by school administrators during school hours, pending school board approval later this month.

School and police officials said they want to do more to discourage underage drinking.

The proposal for breath tests comes amid public outcries over tragic losses caused by teen drinking.

It is not uncommon for schools to test students before they are admitted to special events like proms, said Jeffrey Theodoss, principal of Foxboro High.

The breath devices will begin to be used after the school committee formally votes in two weeks, Theodoss said. The school department has already purchased two digital alcohol detectors, he said.

The school usually has seven to 10 alcohol-related incidents per school year, but those students endanger themselves and others, said Theodoss.

Once the new testing policy is in place, students will be required to submit to testing in an everyday environment as well as during after-school events, Theodoss said. He said the goal is to stop students who've been drinking before they can cause a disruption.

Parents and educators from Foxborough, Mansfield and Norton gathered Thursday night for a candid discussion about underage drinking and the need for parental involvement -- and in some cases -- intervention.

Among the panelists, Kathy Meyer, the mother of 17-year-old Taylor Meyer, who died nearly one year ago after drowning in a swamp after a night of underage drinking.

In Foxborough, a reading over .02 will be considered evidence a student has been drinking, said Theodoss. Students refusing to take the test will be considered in violation and subject to discipline, he added.

Only administrators will administer the test, said Theodoss. Parents will be notified of violations and asked to pick up students from school grounds or events, he said.