Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Use Policy Template
Respect residents' right to make lifestyle choices about alcohol, smoking, and other substances while maintaining a safe environment and meeting your duty of care obligations.
Overview
The Charter of Aged Care Rights affirms residents' right to make decisions about their own lives, including lifestyle choices that may carry health risks. The use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other substances in aged care settings requires a carefully balanced policy that supports resident autonomy while addressing safety, medication interactions, fire risk, and the comfort of other residents. This policy template provides a rights-based framework for managing substance use in a residential aged care setting.
What This Policy Covers
- Resident right to consume alcohol and the process for facilitating this safely
- Designated smoking areas and fire safety requirements
- Medication interaction assessment for alcohol and tobacco use
- Management of cannabis use (medicinal and non-medicinal)
- Family and carer roles in supporting or restricting substance use
- Capacity assessment where substance use raises concerns
- Staff responsibilities and documentation requirements
- Management of intoxication or substance-related incidents
- Restriction of substance use where clinically indicated
Compliance Alignment
- Charter of Aged Care Rights 2019 – Rights 3 and 5
- Aged Care Quality Standard 1 – Consumer Dignity and Choice
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (fire and safety risk)
- Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (medicinal cannabis)
- State/territory smoke-free legislation
Why This Policy Matters
ACQSC assessors look for evidence that residents are not being paternally restricted from lifestyle choices. Facilities without a documented substance use policy risk both non-compliance findings under Standard 1 and operational inconsistency — where some staff permit use while others prohibit it. A clear policy creates defensible, consistent practice across the workforce.
