Drugs in schools
Direction and guidance to prevent, manage and respond to alcohol and other drug-related incidents and behaviours on school premises or during school activities.
Audience
All NSW public schools, including preschools, parents and carers, visitors, and community members.
| Version | Date | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
V01.0.1 |
17/03/2025 |
Updated contact details |
Principal Project Officer, Student Health and Wellbeing |
V01.0.0 |
17/02/2025 |
Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, new policy document with consolidated instructions previously provided in the Drugs in schools policy and procedures. |
Executive Director, Curriculum and Reform |
About the policy
This procedure relates to the Student health and wellbeing policy.
This procedure is to be implemented consistently with the department’s duty to ensure a safe and healthy working and learning environment for staff, students and visitors, as well as in line with:
- Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW)
- Public Health Act 2010 (NSW)
- Liquor Act 2007 (NSW)
- Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW)
- Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000 (NSW).
This procedure does not apply to lawful and responsible use or administration of medications.
Term |
Definition |
Drug paraphernalia |
Items used to hide or use drugs. |
E-cigarettes (vapes) |
Battery operated devices that heat a liquid (also known as e-liquid) or solid (such as leaves) to produce an aerosol that users inhale. E-cigarettes can contain a range of substances including nicotine, cannabis and other new psychoactive substances. Using an e-cigarette is called vaping. |
Illegal drugs |
Prohibited drugs such as heroin, ecstasy, amphetamines, LSD, cocaine, methadone, synthetic drugs and some prescription medications, including cannabis (marijuana), supplied or in the possession of someone without a prescription. |
Medication |
Prescribed medication – can only be made available to a patient on written instruction from an authorised health professional. Non-prescribed medication – may be purchased without a prescription. |
Nicotine and synthetic nicotine products |
Includes tobacco, cigarettes, e-cigarettes (vapes), nicotine pouches. |
Possess |
Have, own or control a drug or item including in a bag or locker at school. |
School function |
An event organised by the school and/or in the name of the school, including dances, formals, farewells, sporting fixtures and barbecues. |
Supply |
To provide, sell or make a drug or item available to someone. |
Use |
The ingestion, injection and inhalation of a drug, the smoking of a drug, the inhalation of fumes caused by the heating or burning of a drug, and any other means of introducing a drug into any part of the body of a person. |
Volatile substances |
Sometimes referred to as inhalants or solvents. They include easily obtained products and substances that can be misused by either sniffing or inhaling the vapours. Examples include aerosols such as deodorants, hair sprays and pesticides; nitrous oxide, amyl nitrite; and household products such as spray paints and paint removers. |
Wellbeing |
A person’s ability to feel good and function effectively. It is about building the capacity, skills and resources to cope and flourish rather than feeling good all the time. |
Principals:
- lead the implementation of a whole-school approach to drug prevention and drug incident response that promotes and supports the health and wellbeing of students and staff
- ensure students have access to age appropriate drug education in each stage of learning
- communicate to students, staff, parents and visitors the rules about drugs in these procedures
- limit use and supervise school use of products containing volatile substances (inhalants and solvents), pesticides and veterinary medications using the Chemical safety in schools (CSIS) package (staff only)
- manage and report any alcohol and other drug-related incidents in accordance with the
- ensure students have access to immediate and ongoing school-based support for any drug-use issues
- contact their Director, Educational Leadership for general advice on managing a drug-related incident
- contact the Media Unit for advice when the school is contacted about an alcohol and other drug-related incident in line with the Media relations policy.
School staff:
- support the implementation of a whole-school approach to drug prevention and student support
- inform the principal as soon as possible of any alcohol and other drug-related incidents in school
- inform the principal when they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a student is involved in alcohol and other drug-related behaviours
- comply with the staff Code of ethics and conduct and Drugs and alcohol in the workplace relating to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes (vapes).
Visitors and community users of school premises:
- must not use illegal drugs, cigarettes, e-cigarettes (vapes) on school premises
- may only use alcohol on school premises in accordance with an agreement under the Sharing of school facilities procedures.
Directors, Educational Leadership:
- provide general advice and support for schools on drug-related issues and behaviours
- monitor policy implementation and support provision.
What needs to be done
Student use of alcohol or other drugs is primarily a health and wellbeing issue. Drug-related harm and issues are a community issue, not just a school issue.
Schools and school activities must be free from illegal drugs.
Smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes (vapes) is prohibited on school premises including school buildings, gardens, agriculture plots and farms, sports fields and car parks. This applies to students, employees, contractors, visitors, volunteers and other people who use school premises including community groups.
Alcohol must not be consumed or brought to school premises during school hours.
1. Prevent alcohol and other drug use, drug-related incidents and drug harm
Principals and school staff should prevent drug use, drug-related incidents and harm by regularly communicating the school’s expectations in relation to alcohol and other drugs to the school community, as stated in:
- the Behaviour code for students, which prohibits students from bringing illegal drugs, alcohol, e-cigarettes (vapes) or tobacco to school
- the Code of ethics and conduct and the Drugs and alcohol in the workplace, which set out the rules relating to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes (vapes) for staff
- the Administration of medication procedures, which prohibit students from carrying their own medication without a signed consent form
- the Sharing of school facilities procedures, which set out the rules for consuming alcohol on school premises outside of school hours.
Principals should provide staff with access to training and resources on:
- how to deliver effective drug education
- support for students, parents and carers
- how to access health support pathways such as general practitioners, Quitline and the NSW poisons information centre.
Teachers must provide all students in Kindergarten to Year 12 with evidence-based drug education (refer to Community information about drug education) by:
- embedding drug education in each stage of learning through personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) for Kindergarten to Year 10 and Life Ready for Years 11 and/or 12
- engaging students in age-appropriate drug education activities that reflect and embed the Principles for school drug education (PDF 324 KB)
- empowering students to make healthy and safe choices, identify risk situations and develop strategies to prepare them for drug related situations they may be exposed to
- embedding learning about alcohol and other drugs that young people are exposed to
- emphasising a harm minimisation approach to denormalise and delay initiation of alcohol and other drug use.
School staff take a whole-of-school approach to involve students, parents, carers, the wider community, and community agencies such as local health districts and police youth liaison officers, in drug-related curriculum, health and wellbeing issues.
2. Manage use of medication, volatile substances and alcohol
Principals manage:
- the administration of medication at school and during school activities using the Administration of medication procedures
- the storage, use and disposal of volatile substances (inhalants and solvents), pesticides and veterinary medications using the Chemical safety in schools package (staff only)
- the consumption of alcohol on school premises by community groups outside school hours using the Sharing of school facilities procedures.
Alcohol must not be consumed or brought to school premises during school hours. This includes by employees, students, visitors and other people who use school premises. In the case of cross-sectoral sites (for example, joint school and TAFE sites), the principal decides the extent of ‘school premises’ in the local context.
Alcohol is not permitted at any school function (refer to Definitions above) – including those conducted outside school premises – at any time when school students, from any school, are present.
3. Respond to drug-related incidents
School staff must inform the principal as soon as possible, of any alcohol and other drug-related incidents in the school.
Alcohol and other drug-related incidents are situations where students are suspected of:
- being under the influence of a drug or other substance
- being in possession of, using or supplying alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes (vapes), illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia
- supplying or being in possession of medication (including a prescribed restricted substances) without a prescription and written consent from the school in accordance with the Administration of medication procedures
- misusing medication.
School staff should follow the Incident notification and response procedure (staff only) when responding to alcohol and other drug-related incidents.
The processes outlined below are not necessarily linear. They can vary depending on the situation and/or context. The process and the order of the steps taken in schools will be influenced by:
- drug factors, for example type of drug, legal/illegal/prescription or non-prescription status, dosage, method of use or administration, how the drug was obtained
- environmental factors, for example number of people involved, risk of harm to others including students and staff, impact on school operations, access to and/or wait time for Incident Report and Support Hotline, access and availability of emergency services, including police
- human factors, for example whether first aid or emergency care is required, health status of user, frequency of use, risk of harm to individual, age and development of individual, parent or carer support
- other factors, for example use versus possession versus supply versus sale.
3.1 Respond to any emergency
Responding to an alcohol and other drug-related emergency may include the following:
- call triple zero (000), if a person is unresponsive, collapsed or not breathing, or if in doubt
- call the NSW poisons information centre on 13 11 26 for advice on triaging and urgency of medical assessment and record the reference number and advice to pass onto the parent or carer as needed
- activate the school’s emergency management plan
- implement the First aid procedure (staff only).
Where a student is suspected of drug use, school staff should try to find out and record as much as possible, including by asking other students about:
- the suspected drug
- when and how the drug was used
- quantity or dose of drug used
- how long ago it was used
- how often the drug was used (for example, used twice in the past one hour)
- how much the drug has been used, for example first-time user, regular user
- how the drug was obtained
- whether the student is in possession of other drugs
- the health status of the student and whether any first aid or emergency care is required.
As far as possible, actions should be taken privately and confidentially to avoid stigmatising students and to protect their privacy.
Photos of the product are helpful for clinical and potential public health management.
3.2 Report the incident to the Incident Report and Support Hotline and/or police
Principals must call the Incident Report and Support Hotline on 1800 811 523 if staff are aware of, or reasonably suspect that the incident involves illegal drugs or the misuse or supply of medication.
For other drug-related incidents, use the Incident notification form (staff only) (PDF 305 KB) as soon as reasonably practicable but within 24 hours as required by the Incident and notification and response procedure (staff only).
Report to the Incident Report and Support Hotline – 1800 811 523 as soon as reasonably practicable, but within a few hours from when the incident occurred if:
- the incident significantly impacts usual workplace operations
- hospitalisation is required
- a person is exposed to serious risk/s to health and safety, such as exposure to uncontrolled substances or fire, fall from height or collapse of a structure, asbestos, hazardous chemicals or mould
- there has been an employee injury or illness.
Principals should contact local police if:
- suspected illegal drugs and/or drug paraphernalia are located on school grounds
- staff are aware of, or reasonably suspect, that a student is
- in possession of, or supplying illegal drugs
- in possession of prescribed restricted substances (including anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs) without a prescription and written consent from the school in accordance with the Administration of medication procedures
- supplying prescribed restricted substances.
Police are responsible for investigating illegal activity. Principals must not initiate investigations beyond establishing the basic facts, unless advised to do so by the police. Police will carry out enquiries consistent with Legal issues bulletin 13 – Police or DCJ – interviews in schools (staff only)
3.3 Attend to student and staff health, wellbeing and safety
School staff:
- where appropriate, administer first aid, isolate students and secure the area
- speak with, and address any health, wellbeing and safety issues or concerns for students and staff involved, including those not directly involved but who may have observed an alcohol and other drug-related incident.
Principals:
- should not send home a student who appears to be under the influence of a drug, unless the NSW poisons information centre has advised it is safe to do so and the student is accompanied by a parent or carer
- should provide the parent or carer with details of monitoring requirements and the reference number provided by the NSW poisons information centre
- contact the student’s parent or carer where possible or negotiate an agreement about arrangements for collecting the student from school if necessary
- support staff involved in the incident as needed.
Searching students and their property and alcohol and drug testing
Under no circumstances should staff carry out a physical search of a student.
Principals:
- must adhere to strict guidelines for searching a student’s property (for example, bags or lockers). Wherever possible, police should carry these out
- must not alcohol or other drug test students at school or any school function (refer to Definitions above) - such as excursions and sporting events.
Refer to Legal issues bulletin 6, Searching students for further information.
3.4 Confiscate, store and dispose of drugs and drug paraphernalia
The following actions provide guidance for school staff.
School staff should:
- confiscate drugs (excluding medications carried by a student with the permission of the principal or delegate), drug paraphernalia, alcohol, tobacco products, e-cigarettes (vapes), synthetic nicotine products, volatile substances (inhalants and solvents) or suspected illegal drugs
- not place themselves or other persons in danger when attempting to confiscate an item. Items should not be removed from students by force
- store confiscated items securely.
Principals should:
- limit all handling of an illegal drug, suspected illegal drug, drug paraphernalia and/or related items
- document
- who handled the drug or related items
- when and where it was handled
- who was present
- as soon as practicable, place illegal drug or suspected illegal drug, drug paraphernalia and/or related items in a sealed bag. Sign across the seal with the time and date. A witness must also sign the seal. This will help ensure there are no allegations that the substance was tampered with after confiscation
- lock the sealed bag in a secure place at the school to which only the principal or their delegate has the key. This will limit access to the drug before the police take possession of it for lawful disposal
- call the local police to collect and dispose of suspected illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
- store the sealed bag overnight in consultation with the police, only under exceptional circumstances when the police are unable to attend on the same day
- handle and dispose of any sharps using the Infection Control Procedures (staff only) (PDF 361 KB).
The police are responsible for disposing of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.
E-cigarettes (vapes) should be disposed of responsibly and safely where they cannot be found by students. E-cigarettes may contain lithium batteries and pose a fire hazard.
Seek advice from the Incident Report and Support Hotline about storing or disposing of items. Some local councils may also provide advice on disposing of e-cigarettes (vapes) in an environmentally responsible manner.
Principals should not return confiscated items that pose a risk to student health, safety and/or wellbeing to the student or their parents or carers. This includes:
- alcohol
- illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
- tobacco products, e-cigarettes (vapes) and synthetic nicotine products
- volatile substance (inhalants and solvents)
- medication in the possession of a student without a prescription and written consent from the school in accordance with the Administration of medication procedures.
Principals should:
- use their professional judgement in the circumstances regarding returning medication in the possession of a student without a prescription and written consent from the school in accordance with the Administration of medication procedures
- discuss the requirements of consent for students to carry medication under the Administration of medication procedures with the parent or carer
- notify a student’s parents or carers if a confiscated item is not returned at the end of the school day, unless otherwise advised by NSW Police or the Department of Communities and Justice.
3.5 Report suspected risk of harm or risk of significant harm
Alcohol and other drug-related incidents may give rise to a reasonable suspicion that the student is at suspected risk of harm or risk of significant harm. Examples include but are not limited to:
- a student is in possession of suspected illegal drugs or medication without a prescription and/or consent under the Administration of medication procedures
- a student is suspected of, or caught, misusing volatile substances (inhalants and solvents)
- a student’s behaviour has caused, or is likely to cause, serious physical or psychological damage to self. Serious damage requires immediate medical or psychological evaluation or intensive treatment (for example, acute alcohol poisoning, drug overdose, diagnosed dependency)
- a student is using alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs or other substances in ways that, based on age, quantity, frequency and duration of use, are likely to cause serious physical or psychological damage, including dependency.
Staff must:
- follow the Child protection – responding to and reporting students at risk of harm procedures
- report any suspected risk of harm concerns to their principal.
Principals
- should use appropriate tools to inform decision-making where there are concerns about suspected risk of harm, for example, Mandatory Reporter Guide, professional judgment or specialist advice
- must report suspected risk of significant harm concerns to Department of Communities and Justice Child Protection Helpline 132 111 or the NSW Department of Education’s Child Wellbeing Unit (staff only) on (02) 9269 9400
- must report suspected risk of harm concerns to the Child Wellbeing Unit on (02) 9269 9400.
3.6 Inform parents, carers and relevant staff
Principals should:
- inform parents or carers of the incident and consult with them about managing alcohol and other drug-related incidents (subject to any family court orders extinguishing parental responsibility)
- consider the privacy rights of children and young people (depending on the nature and severity of the incident), particularly in the case of older students 16 years and above, before disclosing their actions to a parent or carer
- advise parents and carers about any follow up action, including school-based support for the students, or how to access health support pathways such as general practitioners, Quitline and the NSW poisons information centre
- consider informing the parents and carers of students not directly involved but who may have observed the incident.
Principals should:
- communicate with relevant staff within the school about an alcohol and other drug-related incident. This may include a deputy principal, assistant principal, head teacher wellbeing, year advisor, student support officer or school counsellor or psychologist
- include the basic facts of the incident and provide advice about appropriate responses staff might give to questions they may be asked
- consider and protect a student’s right to privacy. Personal information about the student should only be shared to the extent necessary to discharge workplace health and safety obligations
- remind staff who are provided with personal information that the information is disclosed only to ensure safety and needs to be handled with appropriate sensitivity.
3.7 Report retailers of tobacco, alcohol or e-cigarettes
Principals should report a retailer that allegedly sells tobacco, alcohol or e-cigarettes (vapes) to students, to NSW Health through their online complaint portal.
4. Take post-incident action
A range of supports can be offered to students and tailored in response to the individual circumstances.
4.1 Respond to student support needs
Students involved in alcohol and other drug-related incidents may have complex behaviour, learning and support needs.
The care continuum facilitates the implementation of a whole school, prevention focused and positive approach to behaviour support to meet the needs of all students.
Student support needs could include:
- targeted interventions, such as counselling or motivational interviewing
- school-based drug education or wellbeing programs
- mentoring strategies or buddy systems to help the student change their drug-related behaviours
- behavioural strategies suited to the student and the school, for example to reduce nicotine cravings
- referring students, and/or their parents and carers to cessation and support services.
School staff should:
- respond to students involved in alcohol and other drug-related incidents in a manner that reflects their individual needs and be culturally responsive and trauma informed
- refer students involved in alcohol and other drug-related incidents to the school’s learning and support team and the school counselling service
- contact the Team Around a School (staff only), where additional assistance is needed.
The Team Around a School includes school-based and non-school-based staff with diverse specialist skills. It enables schools to develop partnerships with a range of interagency services to provide personalised support for students, including with allied health workers, specialists and other government agencies.
School staff can find their local non-school based Delivery Support team and contact details on the School Support Contacts tab in the staff portal.
4.2 Respond to student behaviour
School staff should respond to student behaviour involving suspected illegal or prescribed restricted substances, drugs, alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarettes (vapes) in accordance with the:
4.3 Respond to health and safety needs
Principals need to:
- undertake risk management for high risk-taking behaviour by students
- contact the Complex Case team (refer to Incident Notification and Response (staff only) webpage for details) for:
- support and advice following incidents involving high risk-taking behaviour by students
- assistance, where needed, to develop a Student-tailored risk management plan (staff only) (DOCX 357 KB).
4.4 Evaluate incidents and lessons learnt
After an alcohol and other drug related incident, a principal should:
- review their local supervision practices to ensure opportunities for using or supplying drugs at school are minimised
- review their School behaviour support and management plan
- remind the school community about the school’s rules and this procedure
- increase staff vigilance in informing the principal about any suspected drug-related behaviour.
Record-keeping requirements
Refer to the Primary and secondary education (FA387) (PDF 246 KB) retention and disposal authority for information on retaining and disposing of records.
| Records related to drugs in schools | Instruction | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
Incident management Reports of incidents to an officer, directorate or agency outside the school, where the incident is serious and has the potential to impact on the organisation as a whole, for example allegations of child sexual abuse, criminal activity, missing child or young person. |
Retain minimum of 45 years after action completed, then destroy |
FA387 2.0.4 |
Policy and procedures Records relating to the implementation of department and local policies at individual schools, including welfare, curriculum, discipline and safety, for example, guides to sharing sensitive personal information, anti-bullying programs. Includes procedures and processes to ensure that risk is managed and records relating to measures to ensure that all staff have been made aware of departmental policy, and related school and departmental procedures and guidelines, for example, schedule of relevant professional learning, attendance register of staff, memos circulated to staff regarding procedures. |
Retain minimum of 5 years after superseded, then destroy |
FA387 2.0.6 |
Accidents and incidents Records relating to the management of accidents, incidents, injury, trauma, bullying and illness involving students, including records documenting actions taken in response by staff, ambulance reports, Poisons Information Centre advice (reference number) and copies of relevant records such as attendance registers. |
Retain minimum of 25 years after action completed, then destroy |
FA387 3.0.1 |
Lists and registers Lists of student accident, injury, trauma and illness related events, for example, registers of injuries, accidents, first aid, sick bay and medicines administered, medications books, and epipens currency checks. |
Retain minimum of 2 years after action completed, then destroy |
FA387 3.0.2 |
Behaviour Behaviour Records relating to disciplinary action including suspension and expulsion. Includes notes from disciplinary interview with student, letters, appeals, notification to Director. |
Retain until student reaches the age of 25 or minimum of 7 years after action completed, whichever is longer, then destroy |
FA387 3.0.14 |
Welfare Reports, plans, parent interactions and orders pertaining to the welfare of students. Includes: medical plans, anaphylaxis and asthma plans, students’ health risk summaries, student risk assessments, court orders related to access, apprehended violence, requests for student assistance, counsellor reports, notes of parent interviews relating to contentious issues and action by school in response. |
Retain minimum of 25 years after action completed, then destroy |
FA387 3.0.17 |
Mandatory tools and templates
- Incident notification form (staff only) (PDF 305 KB)
- Incident Report and Support Hotline (staff only)
Supporting tools, resources and related information
- MyPL – Advice to support students – e-cigarettes and vape use
- Behaviour support toolkit
- Care continuum
- Drug education in NSW schools
- Team Around a School (staff only)
- NSW Health online portal – Report non-compliance with tobacco and e-cigarette laws in NSW
- NSW Health – Vaping resources hub (Resources for teachers and schools)
- NSW Police Force – Drugs and alcohol
- Positive Choices portal – Drug and Alcohol Information
- NSW Health A to Z of drugs – YourRoom – including links to culturally specific services
- Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW)
- Liquor Act 2007 (NSW)
- Public Health Act 2010 (NSW)
- Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW)
- Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000 (NSW)
- Administration of medication procedures
- Behaviour code for students
- Chemical safety in schools package (staff only)
- Child protection - responding to and reporting students at risk of harm policy
- Child protection - responding to and reporting students at risk of harm procedures
- Code of ethics and conduct procedures
- Drugs and alcohol in the workplace procedure
- Incident notification and response procedure (staff only)
- Sharing of school facilities procedures
- Student behaviour policy and Suspension and expulsion procedures and Detention and time-out procedures
- Work health and safety (WHS) policy
- Legal issues bulletin 6 – Searching students
- Legal issues bulletin 13 – Police or DCJ – interviews in schools.
Policy contact
The Executive Director, Inclusion and Wellbeing monitors the implementation of this procedure, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.