Harm reduction

If you need help or are worried about someone in relation to drug and alcohol use, it's important to know where to go to get support. Here at the University, we believe in a harm reduction approach and work to reduce barriers to accessing support and advice around drug and alcohol use.

The ResLife team will have a chat with you and your flatmates at the start of the year to advise on the support available to you. We want to ensure that you know where to find help in an emergency, current safety apps and peer support. If you or your friends are feeling unwell and need medical help after using drugs or alcohol, it's important that you let ResLife and Campus Support & Security know, so we can ensure they get you a quick and the most efficient response. Equally, if you are worried about your or someone else's alcohol or drug use, you can speak to someone in your ResLife team.  

We are running a number of educational campaigns throughout the year to make sure that you have the resources and support needed to make informed choices and reduce harm.

Alcohol awareness

When drinking alcohol, it’s important to make sure you:

• pace yourself;
• understand the risks of drink spiking and never leave your drink out of sight;
• go out with a friend or someone you can trust and get each other home safely;
• stay away from rivers and canals – they can be dangerous and the risks of falling in are heightened after drinking.

For more information and advice on alcohol awareness, visit Drink Aware.

Drug awareness

It’s important to be aware of the dangers associated with taking drugs so that you can look after yourself.

Possession of most recreational drugs or psychoactive substances is illegal in the UK and therefore, any drugs or type of ‘legal high’ are also banned across campus, halls of residence and can come with disciplinary action.

However, disciplinary action will always be accompanied by an educational course and access to appropriate support.

Legal highs

Legal highs or New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) can be just as harmful as illegal drugs. They are poorly manufactured chemicals designed to be like illegal drugs but with a structural difference to avoid being controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

This means you cannot be sure what you're taking and doctors often struggle to treat people who fall ill after consuming NPS.  These drugs haven’t been properly tested to see how toxic they are to humans, so their effects on health are unknown.

What happens if I'm found with drugs or legal highs in halls 

Staying safe tips

• don't be afraid to seek help and be honest about what you’ve taken;
• avoid mixing drugs, especially with alcohol;
• call for help if your friends are in danger;
• stay in a safe environment with people you trust.

Find out more information about staying safe on the Release website.