title: Are schools and alcohol a good mix? A qualitative study of school principals' experiences of adults' alcohol use in Australian secondary schools.
abstract: Parents, schools and the broader community influence children's socialisation to alcohol. In Australia, the UK and the USA, there have been media reports of adults consuming alcohol at family-focused school events such as fairs and graduations. The aim of this qualitative study was to describe school principals' experiences of adults' use of alcohol at school events, when children are present.
  
  
  
  A qualitative study was undertaken. Publicly available lists were used to invite 60 principals from government and Catholic secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. In-depth interviews were conducted and analysed thematically and reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.
  
  
  
  14 principals (5 female, 9 male) participated. Most (10) of the participating principals reported adults' use of alcohol at events when students were present. Regarding these events, most principals reported concerns regarding potential harms and responsibility for decision-making about alcohol availability in schools. Some (4) principals believed alcohol should not be present at such events and this was their practice. Half of the participating schools had recently made changes to reduce the availability or management of alcohol at school functions.
  
  
  
  The findings confirm the common use of alcohol by adults at school events, the challenges this poses for school principals and suggests consideration needs to be given to identifying strategies for supporting schools and school principals in decision-making regarding the conduct of such events.
authors.affiliation: School of Rural Health, Monash University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Bernadette M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: School of Rural Health, Monash University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buykx
authors.affiliation: Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiggers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001315:Australia; D000431:Ethanol; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D012951:Socialization
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: adults; alcohol; policy; school