Health authorities say a school textbook on personal development, sponsored by healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, may breach departmental policy which restricts corporate advertising.

And at the same time a NSW teachers’ union has called for the withdrawal of the J&J book from school classrooms. “This type of corporate sponsorship is completely inappropriate” said NSW teacher’s federation president, Maree O’Halloran.

On Monday, Crikey revealed that the J&J sponsored textbooks – handed out to children in school classrooms- included blatant advertisements for J&J products including tampons, toothbrushes and sanitary pads.

On Tuesday, it was reported by Triple J that the J&J book was being used by more than 150 schools.

Crikey has since learnt that the J&J books have been distributed to schools in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, via health department officials, potentially breaching department policies on involvement with the corporate sector.

A spokeswoman said current practice within the health department is to restrict the use of any information or materials sponsored by drug companies and other private health corporations. The department is currently trying to find out which health officials distributed the J&J textbooks to school classrooms.

With annual global sales of more than $60 billion, J&J is the number five drug company in the world, marketing top-selling painkillers and the popular ADHD drug, Concerta.

While the health department appears concerned that corporate advertising material is being distributed to children in school classrooms, the NSW education department and Education Minister have both given the green light, saying it’s up to schools to decide what students see.

However, the Coalition’s state spokesperson for education told the Sydney Morning Herald that the State Government was “sanctioning blatant commercial advertising within the school system.”

The teacher’s federations Maree O’Halloran told Crikey the reason this happens is because public schools are not properly funded. She said her union would be taking it up with the State Government.