❓ Hon Steve Martin's question seeks data on drug and alcohol education programs, student referrals, funding, and tracking methods related to illegal drug use in WA public schools. The Department of Education states that data collection is decentralised, making specific figures unavailable.
AnsweredQoN 509Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to drug use in Western Australian (WA) public schools, and I ask: (a) for each of the years from 2021-22 to 2024-25: (i) what programs relating to drug and alcohol education have been delivered in WA public schools; (ii) how many students have been referred to external drug and alcohol support services; and (iii) what was the total funding provided to drug and alcohol education in WA public schools; and (b) what measures and statistics are used to track illegal drug use problems in WA schools, statewide?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
23 October 2025
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Minister for Education
Response time
12 days
(a) (i)-(iii)
The Department of Education is committed to contributing to the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in Western Australia. Through the Western Australian Curriculum, all schools are required to deliver drug and alcohol education to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to make safe and healthy choices.
The Department does not collect the requested data centrally as the selection and delivery of programs to support delivery of the curriculum are school-based decisions. Any referrals to external programs are also managed at the local level.
(b)
Principals or site managers record notifiable incidents using the Department of Education’s Online Incident Notification System. The Department also records the number of students each year who are suspended for Possession, use or supply of illegal substance(s) or objects as recorded by the school.
The Department of Education is committed to contributing to the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in Western Australia. Through the Western Australian Curriculum, all schools are required to deliver drug and alcohol education to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to make safe and healthy choices.
The Department does not collect the requested data centrally as the selection and delivery of programs to support delivery of the curriculum are school-based decisions. Any referrals to external programs are also managed at the local level.
(b)
Principals or site managers record notifiable incidents using the Department of Education’s Online Incident Notification System. The Department also records the number of students each year who are suspended for Possession, use or supply of illegal substance(s) or objects as recorded by the school.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.