'There is no place for the alcohol industry in schools': Letter urges principals to reject drink awareness campaign

“There is no place for the alcohol industry in schools,” a letter sent by the Department of Education and the HSE to schools on Friday and seen by the Irish Examiner, states.

The Government has explicitly warned schools not to use alcohol industry-funded programmes like Drinkaware’s in the classroom following calls from campaigners against the practice. 

“There is no place for the alcohol industry in schools,” a letter sent by the Department of Education and the HSE to schools on Friday and seen by the Irish Examiner, states.

As first reported by the Irish Examiner, Drinkaware, an organisation with charity status which is funded by donations from the drinks industry, had continued to offer training for secondary school teachers on alcohol against the advice of the HSE, Department of Health, and Department of Education.

The letter said: “it is not appropriate to use resources or materials produced or funded by the alcohol industry for education and awareness on alcohol in schools, or for teachers to attend, in their professional capacity, associated training which may be offered by organisations funded by the alcohol industry."

The Department of Health advised in the letter that such resources being provided to schools by organisations funded by the alcohol industry represent "a distinct conflict of interest". 

If resources were "funded by parties with conflicts of interests, such as alcohol resources produced by Drinkaware, which is funded by the alcohol industry, then in line with the clear advice of the HSE and the Department of Health they should not be used in schools," the letter said.

'Beacon of hope'

This week, the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network (ICAAN) had called on the Government to give a “clear and unequivocal” message to schools that alcohol industry-funded programmes should not be delivered in the classroom.

ICAAN spokesperson Paula Leonard from Alcohol Forum Ireland said that the letter would be “a beacon of hope” for others struggling internationally to keep the alcohol industry out of children's education.

“This really welcome news is a big step forward in ensuring that any alcohol or other drug prevention work in school settings is quality assured and free from conflicts of interests," Ms Leonard said.

“We believe that many schools were acting in good faith and were unaware that Drinkaware is funded by the alcohol industry and, therefore, unaware that a conflict of interest existed."

John Higgins, who lost his 19-year-old son, David, to an alcohol-related suicide, holding a photo of David at his home in Ballina, Co Mayo. Picture: Karen Cox

Campaigner John Higgins has long called for a ban on Drinkaware’s educational programmes in schools. His only son David died in an alcohol-related suicide in 2011 at the age of 19.

“Every year there are hundreds of death certificates, we, unfortunately, have one, that says ‘alcohol was a contributing factor’ in someone’s death. 

“It’s not going to bring David back, or all the other Davids, there are lots of them, but a ban would show that at last things are beginning to change.

About 15,000 students are estimated to have been educated with resources from the Drinkaware schools’ programme.

Although the organisation has charitable status here, 99% of Drinkaware’s funding last year came via corporate donations from the alcohol industry.

The letter sent to schools on Friday recommends that teachers use independent and trusted sources of information when engaging with students on issues around alcohol.

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Evidence-based resources on alcohol and drugs for schools have been developed by the HSE with the support of the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) including the 'Know the Score' substance misuse programme for Transition Year or 5th year pupils.

Róisín Shortall, co-leader of the Social Democrats, has campaigned on the issue and welcomed the news.

“We know that the alcohol industry has had undue influence on public policy for decades and it is beyond time that this ended,” she said.

Drinkaware had not responded to queries at the time of publication.