Call for Government to ban alcohol industry-funded schools programmes

Drinkaware continues to offer its training for secondary school teachers against the advice of the HSE, Department of Health, and Department of Education.

The Government must give a “clear and unequivocal” message to schools that alcohol industry-funded programmes should not be delivered in the classroom.

That’s the call from the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network (ICAAN) which is to call for Drinkaware, an organisation with charity status funded by donations from the alcohol industry, to cease all education activities in schools. 

As first reported by the Irish Examiner, Drinkaware continues to offer its training for secondary school teachers against the advice of the HSE, Department of Health, and Department of Education.

“‘We are now fairly confident that Drinkaware will not listen to the clear and growing opposition to their involvement in the education of our children,” said ICAAN spokesperson Paula Leonard from Alcohol Forum Ireland. 

At a conference on Thursday, ICAAN will make two key demands — firstly, that Drinkaware ceases all education activities in Irish schools, and secondly, that the Government gives a clear instruction to schools that alcohol industry-funded programmes are inappropriate and should not be delivered in the classroom.

"We are aware that not only is Drinkaware continuing to deliver schools-based programmes, but it has committed to scaling it up with further teacher training and the introduction of a new programme for transition year students," Ms Leonard added. 

What this tells us is that Government need to move from policy to action to protect children. Over 15,000 students have attended this programme. That is 15,000 too many." 

More than 30 organisations have adopted the ‘i-Mark: Supporting independence from Alcohol Industry Influence’ and its campaign to ensure schools-based education in Ireland is free from alcohol industry influence. 

ICAAN will be joined on Thursday by leading global alcohol policy expert and adviser to the WHO Professor Tom Babor. 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Drinkaware said it "contends that education and awareness are essential to ensure that Ireland’s young population is armed with accurate information regarding alcohol-related harms, both in the short and in the long term".