In Australia, the health care giant is marketing its products to schoolchildren in a book being used in New South Wales classrooms, and the move is causing a flap. the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The 48-page curriculum resource called BodyWhys provides info on personal development and includes photos of various Johnson & Johnson products. In the chapter on feminine hygiene, Stayfree products are pictured and described: “Stayfree Ultra Thins give you full protection in an ultra-thin pad and have wings to help keep the pad in place”. A chapter on pimples includes a photo of 12 J&J skin care products. Images of Reach toothbrushes and dental floss accompany sections on brushing and flossing. A J&J spokesman says the student booklets were sold to schools for $1 each, in packs of 30.

The state government says schools are free to use the material at their discretion, but the opposition lawmakers say this sanctions commercial advertising. Coalition spokesman for education Andy Stoner says the state shouldn’t allow schools to use material containing commercial products.

“Clearly the line has been crossed when corporate giants like Johnson & Johnson can target their marketing material directly into classrooms with the tacit agreement of the Education Department,” he tell the Herald. “By staying mute on this issue, the State Government is sanctioning blatant commercial advertising within the school system.”

The department said it did not endorse commercial products and services. “Schools choose which resources they use. These can be from within the department or from external commercial providers,” it says in a statement. The Minister for Education, John Della Bosca, adds: “Decisions about what materials are used to support teaching in the classroom are best made by teachers and principals and where necessary parents as set out in departmental policy”.

“We are proud of our materials that we have sent out when requested to schools on a range of personal development information for parents, students and teachers, some of which has included information on Johnson & Johnson products,” the J&J spokesman tells the paper.

Meanwhile, the online news service crikey.com (subscription required), which first revealed details of the J&J school resource, wrote: “If global health giant J & J has been given the green light to advertise its tampons in classrooms, via ‘textbooks’, why not allow McDonald’s to promote cheeseburgers, Coke to push its drinks, and Pfizer to promote its anti-depressants? State education ministers around the country could even raise some revenues for public schools at the same time”.