Students
Administrative Regulation No. 5131.6
Adopted: December 9, 2010
Revised: August 29, 2025
ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
Instruction
The curriculum of all elementary and secondary schools shall include instruction on the effects upon the human body, as determined by science, of tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, dangerous drugs as defined in Health and Safety Code 11032, and other dangerous substances. Instruction shall be sequential in nature and suited to meet the needs of students at their respective grade level. (Education Code 51203, 51260)
Instruction on the nature and effects of alcohol shall include information about excessive alcohol use and the short- and long-term health risks of excessive alcohol use, including information about excessive drinking, the immediate effects of alcohol that increase the risks of harmful health conditions, and how excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems, including alcohol-related deaths and mental health problems. (Education Code 51203)
In grades 1-6, instruction in drug education should be given in health courses required by Education Code 51210. (Education Code 51260)
In grades 7-12, instruction in drug education shall be conducted in health courses and in any other appropriate area of study required by Education Code 51220. (Education Code 51260)
Instruction shall be provided by appropriately trained instructors who have demonstrated competencies, as determined by the principal or designee, in the following areas: (Education Code 51260)
1. The ability to interact with students in a positive way
2. Knowledge of the properties and effects of tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, dangerous drugs, and shared drug apparatus
3. Effective teaching skills and competency in helping students to express opinions responsibly and to become aware of their values as they affect drug-use decisions
Intervention
District staff shall intervene whenever students use alcohol or other illegal drugs while on school property or under school jurisdiction. Staff members who have a reasonable suspicion that a student may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs shall immediately notify the principal or designee.
If the principal or designee, observes or suspects that a student may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the principal or designee may notify the student's parent/guardian. (Education Code 44049)
School staff shall not disclose confidential information provided during counseling by a student 12 years of age or older. A school counselor may report such information to the principal or parent/guardian only when the counselor believes that disclosure is necessary to avert a clear and present danger to the health, safety or welfare of the student or other persons living in the school community. The school counselor shall not disclose such information to the parent/guardian if the counselor believes that the disclosure would result in a clear and present danger to the student's health, safety or welfare. (Education Code 44049, 49602)