Monday 04-11-2024 - 09:08

Statement on the University Drugs Policy and keeping students safe.

You have the opportunity to help the University develop its new policy on drugs. I strongly believe harm reduction approaches have the potential to save lives, and in this statement, I explain why.

There will always be individuals who choose to use drugs regardless of any prohibitions that apply. These individuals still deserve support and safety at the university they are members of. If these are statements you agree with, you already support a harm reduction approach to drug use at Durham University, and for the first time in the history of this university, we have a very real chance of getting it – but we need your help.

The university’s current zero-tolerance policy against drug usage is a harsh measure designed to hinder rather than support students. Instead of fostering a supportive environment, this approach does nothing to promote student safety on campus and can leave students feeling punished and isolated. The drug policy must evolve, not based on what you or I think about the morality of drug use - but rather on best practice that gets students the support they need. 

The University recognises the impracticality of the current policy, and has just launched a consultation asking students what their thoughts on the current drug policy are and what a developed drug policy should look like. The survey will run for two weeks, and I strongly encourage every student to do their own research as to what an effective drug policy might look like and fill in the survey accordingly. 

Complete the anonymous Student Survey: Developing a new University Drugs Policy to share your thoughts on the best ways to keep students safe (and a chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher!). 

A harm reduction approach to drug use means students who choose to use drugs will be able to access information on how to use them more safely and be able to seek help should they want it without having to fear sanction or judgement. I hope this is uncontroversial – we shouldn’t have to debate supporting students who need it more. The reasons why individuals might choose to use drugs are varied and often complex, but the fact that everyone deserves non-judgemental support, especially from a university community, is hopefully something we can all agree on.

Critics of harm reduction policies might argue that harm reduction encourages the use of drugs, but that is categorically untrue. If implemented at the university level, harm reduction wouldn’t give students access to drugs - it would only give students access to information on how to be safe if they chose to use drugs. And we know that a large number of students do use drugs – according to research from NUS the number is 40% of students commonly use drugs. In my view, we are failing as a community if we don’t help these students stay safe.

The SU has advocated for a harm reduction approach for a long time. There was a policy motion passed by the SU Assembly in 2021 that acknowledged reports of harmful practices such as sniffer dogs being sent around colleges as well as students feeling like they could not seek support even in cases of overdoses. Successive SU Officers have advocated and lobbied for this policy, and I feel really honoured to be able to continue their work and hopefully bring it to fruition. This would also be impossible without the support of several student groups, such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy. But our campaigns now share the same stance as that of several other universities (like Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle) and leading higher education policy groups like Universities UK, who acknowledge that a zero-tolerance policy is harmful and goes against students’ best interests.

The best time to do this work would have been years ago, but the second best time is now. We have a chance to reverse an incredibly dangerous policy, and it is critical that we, as a student body, send a strong message that we would rather have our students supported than judged. 

If you need support with drug use, the County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service can help.

If you have concerns about drug or alcohol-related issues, you can email CDDARS.uni@humankindcharity.org.uk. This email account is specifically for the use of members of the Durham University community.