We want you to have the best experience during your time at University. We also want you to be safe.
While we in no way encourage or tolerate drug use, we understand that you may decide to take drugs to unwind or in an attempt to have a good time, and the aim of this campaign is to empower and educate our students and minimise risk when it comes to drug use. We also want our University to have a robust and fair drug policy which supports those who fall victim to drug abuse. We should be supporting victims of drug addiction and helping them to reach their full potential at University.
The information below is just to be used as a guide and we encourage you to do extensive research and remember:
Not taking drugs is the safest way to take drugs.
Support
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 999.
Harm Reduction
These five drugs were identified by our students as the focus of the campaign.
The information below has been taken from the following websites. Please visit each one for more detail. Remember this information is just to be used as a guide and we encourage you to do extensive research.
The Loop
Talk to Frank
Mind
Pulse Radio’s article on Safe Clubbing Tips
Talking Drugs
Know The Score have also produced a myths and facts quiz about drugs.
- For specific information on recommended safe consumption and levels please visit The Loop
- If you cannot go on a night out without cocaine it’s time to take a break or seek professional advice
- Rinse your nostrils with clean water between snorts to reduce the risk of nasal damage
- Avoid mixing with alcohol, as you are more likely to become paranoid or aggressive when the two drugs are combined
- Class A drug
- Maximum sentence for possession is seven years and an unlimited fine. Maximum sentence for supply is life and an unlimited fine
- For specific information on recommended safe consumption and levels please visit The Loop
- Be mindful of how much you use, the K hole can be a very disturbing experience, with effects including hallucinations and/or dizziness
- Avoid mixing with other drugs, especially depressants such as alcohol
- If you develop persistent cystitis, other bladder/urinary tract problems seek medical advice and do not take ketamine to reduce the painful symptoms as this could make the condition worse
- Class B drug
- Maximum sentence for possession is five years and an unlimited fine or both. Maximum sentence for supply (even to your friends) is 14 years and an unlimited fine
- For specific information on recommended safe consumption and levels please visit The Loop
- If dancing drink about a pint of water per hour to avoid dehydration, but be careful not to drink too much. It can be fatal.
- Take a regular breaks from dancing to reduce the risk of heatstroke.
- If somebody is overheating, take them to a cool place, remove excess clothing and use water to try to cool them down.
- Class A drug
- Maximum sentence for possession is seven years and an unlimited fine. Maximum sentence for supply is life and an unlimited fine.
- Smoking daily increases your chances of developing lung problems or a psychological dependence
- If you are somebody who is pre-disposed to suffering from anxiety or hearing voices, these conditions may get worse after smoking.
- The effects vary greatly depending on the strain used, how it is used and the person using it.
- Main effects include giggles, hunger (munchies), anxiety, nausea and vomiting (Whitey), paranoia, cannabis psychosis, lung damage, cancer, relapse of pre existing mental health conditions, psychological dependence and much more.
- Cannabis is a Class B drug.
- Maximum sentence for possession is five years and an unlimited fine. Maximum sentence for supply is 14 years and an unlimited fine.
- For specific information on recommended safe consumption levels please visit Talk To Frank
- Especially dangerous if you mix them with other depressants like alcohol.
- Withdrawal includes tremors, vomiting, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, headaches, reduced concentration.
- Most tranquillisers that are available on the street are either stolen from a hospital or pharmacy or from people who got them on a prescription
- You cannot be sure of the purity (or even if the drug is Xanax at all) unless you are certain that the drug you have is a genuine pharmacy medicine.
- Class C drug, and not available on the NHS in the UK.
- Possession can lead to up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. Supply (even to friends) can lead to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
- The best way to stay safe is to remain sober and alert.
- Regardless of whether you are feeling yourself or not, stay with friends and people that you trust so you can look out for each other.
- Also look out for others. If you see someone struggling with the effects of alcohol or drugs, be a friendly face. Offer water, and ask if they’re okay.
- For MDMA, crystal and powder follow the Crush, Dab and Wait approach. More information can be found on The Loop website
- For ecstasy pills, start with a quarter or a half pill and regularly sip water. If you start with a quarter or a half pill and wait an hour to feel the effects, you can gauge the strength before considering redosing.
- For more detailed information please visit The Loop and Pulse Radio
- If you ever feel pressured to take drugs, remain assertive and clear about what you do and don’t want to do.
- Say no firmly but clearly and without making a big deal about it. If they try to persuade you, don’t feel like you have to change your mind.
- Your comfort and mental health if of the upmost importance.
- Remember that you’re not alone. Most people don’t take drugs.
- If you’re finding it hard to be yourself within your group, take a step back, and think about whether it’s time to find a new crowd to hang out with.
- Drugs are used by some to self-medicate, which means that they are used to mask symptoms of a mental health issue
- All drugs have some kind of effect on your mental health. For some people, taking drugs can lead to long-term mental health problems, such as depression or schizophrenia.
- For some, you may already have a mental health diagnosis, and use illegal drugs to help yourself cope and as a self-diagnosis.
- If either of the above is the case, do seek help immediately. For ‘dual diagnosis’, treatment involves both mental health services and drug and alcohol services.
- Regular drug use could eventually have a negative impact on your day-to-day life, leading with problems to do with money, relationships, housing or your education/employment.
- Do not suffer alone. Get in touch with a service and seek help.
- For more detailed information please visit The Loop
- Most drugs come under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which makes it illegal to possess certain drugs and to supply them to others.
- Some drugs come under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, making it illegal to produce or supply these types of substances, or to possess them with the intention of supplying them.
- It is illegal to drive with an illegal drug in your blood, whether or not it affects your driving.
- The question of capacity to consent is particularly relevant when a complainant is intoxicated by alcohol or affected by drugs.
- There is no certain answer in UK law about this. In R v Bree [2007] EWCA 256, the Court of Appeal concluded that is consumption is voluntary, then drunken consent may still be classified as consent.
- Know the law, TAKE CONTROL
- For more information about drugs and the law please visit GOV UK