Rationale:
Alcohol is considered one of the most harmful drugs affecting young people today.
Our school has a community responsibility to fully inform our students, staff and the whole school community about the effects of alcohol in both the long and short terms.
Alcohol education will sit within the context of our school's drug education program.
Aims:
To provide accurate information regarding the effects of alcohol on the body.
To ensure students have the necessary knowledge and skills to make positive informed choices over their use of alcohol.
To provide opportunities for the broader school community to participate in alcohol education activities.
To clearly define the processes required when alcohol has been brought on to the school property or a school sanctioned function. This policy will also deal with the situation where a student or staff member has attended school or a school organised event, clearly under the influence of alcohol.
Implementation:
- Alcohol education activities will be provided, ensuring age appropriateness, as part of our school's drug education program.
- Curriculum materials from the PDHPE and Health curriculum areas will be used to form the basis of alcohol education at our school.
- Where appropriate, Albion Park High School will access agencies within our local community with expertise in the field of alcohol education to participate in classes eg. Local police, Community Health Service, Drug & Alcohol counsellors.
- Any lessons taught around alcohol will be delivered within the context of a Harm Minimisation approach to drug education.
- Alcohol education activities will be provided for parents and the broader school community.
- Alcohol is not to be consumed on school premises under any circumstance.
- Students who have contact with alcohol at school will be processed through the school discipline and welfare systems. Parents/Carers will be notified immediately. Counselling will be mandatory for any student involved in alcohol use.
- The consumption of alcohol by staff members on camps or excursions is now allowed. Staff who fail to adhere to this policy may compromise their professional standing, their ability to carry out their duty of care, and/or loss of Work Cover rights.
- Students are not permitted to bring alcohol on to school grounds under any circumstances.
Evaluation:
This policy will be reviewed with parent and community input as part of the school's three-year review cycle.
This policy was last ratified by P and C in August 2015
References:
Re-thinking Drinking and Safe Partying – Commonwealth Drug Education programs
Australian Drug Foundation – www.druginfo.adf.org.au
National Alcohol Campaign