Adult drinking in Australian schools

In 2011, the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) suggested that the use, sale or promotion of alcohol for the purpose of fundraising by schools was not consistent with education values or ethical principles. It argued that fundraising with alcohol offended the ‘whole school approach to health’ as it normalised alcohol for school students and could lead to underage people adopting a positive attitude toward early drinking. A precedent exists: many schools have removed soft drinks and ‘non-nutritious’ foodstuffs from their canteen in order to align school practice with the school health curriculum. In particular, the ANCD objected to students playing any role in alcohol-related transactions, such as carrying offers of alcohol via school newsletters or delivering payments to the school.