§ 18A:40A-3 — Initial inservice training programs; curriculum; availability

3. a. Upon completion of the curriculum guidelines required pursuant to section 2 of this act, the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall establish inservice workshops and training programs to train selected public school teachers to teach an education program on drugs, alcohol, anabolic steroids, tobacco and controlled dangerous substances. The inservice training programs may utilize existing county or regional offices, or such other institutions, agencies or persons as the Commissioner of Education deems appropriate. The programs and workshops shall provide instructional preparation for the teaching of the drug, alcohol, anabolic steroids, tobacco and controlled dangerous substances curriculum, and shall, in addition to the curriculum material, include information on the history, pharmacology, physiology and psychosocial aspects of drugs, alcohol, anabolic steroids, tobacco and controlled dangerous substances, symptomatic behavior associated with substance use, the availability of rehabilitation and treatment programs, and the legal aspects of substance use. Each local board of education shall provide time for the inservice training during the usual school schedule in order to ensure that appropriate teaching staff members are prepared to teach the education program in each grade in each school district. b. Upon completion of the initial inservice training program, the Commissioner of Education shall ensure that programs and workshops that reflect the most current information on substance use are prepared and are made available to teaching staff members at regular intervals. c. In addition to providing inservice training programs for teaching staff members who will provide instruction on substance use disorder in the public schools, the Commissioner of Education shall make these training programs available to such other instructional and supervisory personnel as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate. L.1987, c.389, s.3; amended 1989, c.216, s.5; 1989, c.225, s.4; 2023, c.177, s.37.