State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title10 > Chap164 > Sec10-19

      Sec. 10-19. Teaching about alcohol, nicotine or tobacco, drugs and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Training of personnel. (a) The knowledge, skills and attitudes required to understand and avoid the effects of alcohol, of nicotine or tobacco and of drugs, as defined in subdivision (17) of section 21a-240, on health, character, citizenship and personality development shall be taught every academic year to pupils in all grades in the public schools; and, in teaching such subjects, textbooks and such other materials as are necessary shall be used. Annually, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Education shall request, each local and regional board of education shall attest to the State Board of Education that all pupils enrolled in its schools have been taught such subjects pursuant to this subsection and in accordance with a planned, ongoing and systematic program of instruction. The content and scheduling of instruction shall be within the discretion of the local or regional board of education. Institutions of higher education approved by the State Board of Education to train teachers shall give instruction on the subjects prescribed in this section and concerning the best methods of teaching the same. The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of Higher Education in consultation with the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Commissioner of Public Health shall develop health education or other programs for elementary and secondary schools and for the training of teachers, administrators and guidance personnel with reference to understanding and avoiding the effects of nicotine or tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

      (b) Commencing July 1, 1989, each local and regional board of education shall offer during the regular school day planned, ongoing and systematic instruction on acquired immune deficiency syndrome, as taught by legally qualified teachers. The content and scheduling of the instruction shall be within the discretion of the local or regional board of education. Not later than July 1, 1989, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a policy, as the board deems appropriate, concerning the exemption of pupils from such instruction upon written request of the parent or guardian. The State Board of Education shall make materials available to assist local and regional boards of education in developing instruction pursuant to this subsection.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1358; 1959, P.A. 411, S. 4; February, 1965, P.A. 140, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 555, S. 61; 1969, P.A. 753, S. 33; 1971, P.A. 370, S. 2; P.A. 73-632, S. 2, 3, 5; P.A. 75-211, S. 1; P.A. 77-573, S. 24, 30; P.A. 78-218, S. 20; P.A. 82-218, S. 37, 46; P.A. 83-160, S. 1; P.A. 84-241, S. 2, 5; P.A. 85-579, S. 3, 5; P.A. 88-112, S. 1, 2; 88-136, S. 24, 37; P.A. 90-133, S. 1; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 59, 63; P.A. 95-182, S. 2, 11; 95-257, S. 11, 12, 21, 58.)

      History: 1959 act changed reference to state teachers colleges to state colleges; 1965 act included teaching of effects of narcotics and alcohol on personality development and began teaching of effects in fifth rather than third grade; 1967 act substituted "controlled drugs" for "narcotics"; 1969 act included teaching of effects of nicotine or tobacco, specified that such teaching take place at least once every academic year and added provision for development of programs and training of teachers and guidance personnel; 1971 act deleted reference to teaching "at least once" each year, required teaching of all grades, not just fifth grade and above, included administrators in training provision and deleted sentence referring to classes in ungraded schools; P.A. 73-632 substituted "institutions of higher education" for "colleges", included the drug advisory council in development of programs and added Subsec. (b) concerning drug and information and instruction programs in higher education institutions; P.A. 75-211 limited institutions of higher education in Subsec. (a) to those "approved ... to train teachers" and included the Connecticut state alcohol council in development of programs and included alcohol information and instruction programs in Subsec. (b); P.A. 77-573 substituted board of higher education for commission for higher education; P.A. 78-218 deleted Subsec. (b); P.A. 82-218 replaced board of higher education with board of governors pursuant to reorganization of higher education system, effective March 1, 1983; P.A. 83-160 replaced the drug advisory council and the Connecticut state alcohol council with the state alcohol and drug abuse commission; P.A. 84-241 added "of higher education" to board of governors' title; P.A. 85-579 added Subsec. (b) re a study of the alcohol and drug prevention programs provided by local and regional boards of education; P.A. 88-112 added new Subsec. re instruction on acquired immune deficiency syndrome; P.A. 88-136 deleted obsolete Subsec. (b) re report on the alcohol and drug prevention programs provided by local and regional boards of education; P.A. 90-133 in Subsec. (a) expanded what is to be taught concerning alcohol, nicotine or tobacco and drugs, provided that there be an annual attestation to the state board of education concerning the teaching of these subjects and provided that the programs developed by the state board of education, et al, are not limited to health education programs; P.A. 93-381 replaced state alcohol and drug abuse commission with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993 (Revisor's note: The word "commissioner" was substituted editorially by the Revisors for "department" to parallel existing language); P.A. 95-182 amended Subsec. (a) to allow boards of education to set the content and scheduling of instruction, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Mental Health with Commissioner and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.

      See Sec. 10-16b re prescribed courses of study generally.

      See Sec. 10-145a re certificates of qualification for teachers.

      Cited. 152 C. 151. Cited. 238 C. 1.