City Investigates: How can universities protect students who take drugs?
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56% of people at university have tried drugs, according to the National Union for Students. City News Investigates the risks for these students and how universities hope to combat the rise.
Drug-related deaths reached their highest level for 25 years in 2019 but, for many students, drug education on campus is rare – despite the risks. So, are universities doing enough to keep their students safe?
Laurence is 21 and a second year student at UCL. Before he studied at UCL he went to the University of Bristol but dropped out due to issues with his mental health.
While at Bristol, Laurence took drugs like MDMA, ketamine and cocaine frequently. As a result, he developed drug-induced psychosis.
“I could stay up for 4 days on end,” Laurence told City News, “as it’s happening, you’re not really aware it’s happening.”
“I lost a lot of weight, I was irritable, paranoid and aggressive. There were a lot of physiological effects.”
Laurence dropped out of Bristol after he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Over two years later, Laurence is now sober.
“At the time,” Laurence reflects, “I never really worried about what was in the drugs I was taking.”
Why is it important to know what’s in your drugs?
Paramedic for the Great North Air Ambulance, Lee Salmon, explains that ecstasy pills are particularly dangerous. “If an ecstasy pill is too strong, it can be lethal”, he says.
But, what happens if the pill you’ve taken isn’t safe?
“You become very hot,” Lee says, “and that’s where people get this insatiable thirst from. They start drinking water and then they drink too much water. That upsets the acid balance of the blood.
“It’s a spiralling effect to the horrible states that paramedics have to deal with.”
“It can be fatal, you’ve got to be really careful with drugs like MDMA” says paramedic Lee Salmon. Source: AP.
A new approach: drug testing kits for students
Recently, some universities such as the University of Bristol have introduced drug testing kits on campus. The kits are supplied by Bristol Drugs Project (BDP).
City News spoke to Maggie Telfer, CEO of the BDP. She says that while the kits will allow students to talk openly about drugs, it’s important to recognise what the kits “can and can’t do”.
“It will tell you whether the substance you have contains some of what you think it is. So for instance, if it was ketamine it will produce a colour which tells you that it does contain ketamine.
“That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain something else as well and it doesn’t tell you anything about the strength. That’s really important: it doesn’t mean that it’s safe or risk free.”
Are harm reduction policies the way forward?
Lilli Waples is a student at the University of Bristol and co-President of the Bristol chapter of Students for Sensible Drugs Policy (SSDP).
The University of Bristol has adopted a harm-reduction stance for drugs and alcohol. The university says they “understand a zero-tolerance stance is harmful and damaging as it prevents student from reaching out as they may fear being punished.”
Lilli is glad that her university has introduced a harm-reduction policy and wants other institutions to do the same.
“Instead of punishing students that get caught using drugs, they’ll at least try and educate those students on the potential risks and harms of drug use.
“I’d really like more universities to try this approach because it seems to really prioritise students well-being.”
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HeadlineCity Investigates: How can universities protect students who take drugs?
Short HeadlineDrugs on campus: how do we keep students safe?
Standfirst56% of people at university have tried drugs, according to the National Union for Students. City News Investigates the risks for these students and how universities hope to combat the rise.
Drug-related deaths reached their highest level for 25 years in 2019 but, for many students, drug education on campus is rare – despite the risks. So, are universities doing enough to keep their students safe?
Laurence is 21 and a second year student at UCL. Before he studied at UCL he went to the University of Bristol but dropped out due to issues with his mental health.
While at Bristol, Laurence took drugs like MDMA, ketamine and cocaine frequently. As a result, he developed drug-induced psychosis.
“I could stay up for 4 days on end,” Laurence told City News, “as it’s happening, you’re not really aware it’s happening.”
“I lost a lot of weight, I was irritable, paranoid and aggressive. There were a lot of physiological effects.”
Laurence dropped out of Bristol after he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Over two years later, Laurence is now sober.
“At the time,” Laurence reflects, “I never really worried about what was in the drugs I was taking.”
Why is it important to know what’s in your drugs?
Paramedic for the Great North Air Ambulance, Lee Salmon, explains that ecstasy pills are particularly dangerous. “If an ecstasy pill is too strong, it can be lethal”, he says.
But, what happens if the pill you’ve taken isn’t safe?
“You become very hot,” Lee says, “and that’s where people get this insatiable thirst from. They start drinking water and then they drink too much water. That upsets the acid balance of the blood.
“It’s a spiralling effect to the horrible states that paramedics have to deal with.”
“It can be fatal, you’ve got to be really careful with drugs like MDMA” says paramedic Lee Salmon. Source: AP.
A new approach: drug testing kits for students
Recently, some universities such as the University of Bristol have introduced drug testing kits on campus. The kits are supplied by Bristol Drugs Project (BDP).
City News spoke to Maggie Telfer, CEO of the BDP. She says that while the kits will allow students to talk openly about drugs, it’s important to recognise what the kits “can and can’t do”.
“It will tell you whether the substance you have contains some of what you think it is. So for instance, if it was ketamine it will produce a colour which tells you that it does contain ketamine.
“That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain something else as well and it doesn’t tell you anything about the strength. That’s really important: it doesn’t mean that it’s safe or risk free.”
Are harm reduction policies the way forward?
Lilli Waples is a student at the University of Bristol and co-President of the Bristol chapter of Students for Sensible Drugs Policy (SSDP).
The University of Bristol has adopted a harm-reduction stance for drugs and alcohol. The university says they “understand a zero-tolerance stance is harmful and damaging as it prevents student from reaching out as they may fear being punished.”
Lilli is glad that her university has introduced a harm-reduction policy and wants other institutions to do the same.
“Instead of punishing students that get caught using drugs, they’ll at least try and educate those students on the potential risks and harms of drug use.
“I’d really like more universities to try this approach because it seems to really prioritise students well-being.”
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