Curtin U’s McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth has issued a policy handbook for alcohol consumption at universities. This is obviously important for all institutions– especially ones with large on-campus residential communities, and those that want them. Having studied at then party school, University of Arizona, ANU VC Brian Schmidt obviously understands the risks involved in his plan to expand on-campus living.

The McCusker handbook is a sober (sorry) read and while it does not propose prohibition there is a sense in the document that university life would be better without booze. “While the purpose of an alcohol policy is not to create alcohol-free campus, there are useful lessons from the experience of smoke-free policies across Australian university campuses,” the report wistfully states.