Eagle Era

By Lisa Shokoor

In September 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2865 to expand alcohol education in all California public schools by 2025. According to CalMatters, the existing law requires instruction about the nature of alcohol to be included in all public school curricula. This bill would require the short-term and long-term risks of excessive alcohol use to be taught in classrooms in hopes that students learn the negative consequences of alcohol abuse.

According to KQED, this bill was introduced by former Los Angeles Democratic Assembly member Wendy Carrillo, whose career ended after she was charged with a DUI. Carrillo thought it was important for students to learn about the consequences of alcohol so that they would not be influenced like she was. At one of the hearings, she said, “I wish I would have known in high school what I know now. I would have made different choices.” She continued, “I want young people to learn early how something that is so legally and easily accessible can do so much harm if not consumed with more knowledge and more responsibility.” 

Some of the details include teaching primary and secondary school students how excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of diseases and health risks, including alcohol-related deaths. While teaching this course, the California Constitution requires that the state reimburse agencies and school districts for the cost to teach this course. 

A discussion on the Senate floor during a hearing decided the bill should be passed (Photo Credit: CalMatters).

Since this bill passed, it might affect the way health classes are taught at AHS. Health teacher Ms. Sanfacon said, “We follow it pretty closely. All of the titles that I use in my lessons are from [the California Department of Education].” She said, “It’s important that people understand the effects and the dangers of different drugs. You can put all the other drugs together—fentanyl, heroin, morphine, opioids—and alcohol will outweigh all of them in the end. Alcohol is the absolute worst.” 

According to Ms. Sanfacon, this bill would help educate students. She said, “[They] are not aware that passing out from alcohol is brain death.” 

Fremont Youth and Family Services was not available to provide a comment.