Alameda Schools Abandon Abstinence

Sacramento, Calif.~High school students at Alameda High School and Encinal High School will soon have easier access to condoms. The Alameda Board of Education voted 5-0 earlier this week to allow condom distribution on the campuses of these schools.

The vote was prompted by a student-initiated survey of 359 students, suggesting that the previous condom distribution policy was “cumbersome and potentially embarrassing” to students. The old policy required students to take a condom “prescription” to certain drug stores for redemption.

The survey found that 79 percent of students would be more likely to use condoms if they were available on campus.

Supporters of the new policy describe it as a victory for students’ health. In reality, all it will do is enable more students to have casual and premature sex.

The only way to ensure that students are not physically and emotionally scarred by premature sex is to tell them to ‘just say no’ until marriage. The Alameda School Board’s recent vote will jeopardize the health and well-being of students.

Karen England is the executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute.