UWE Bristol recognised for harm reduction approach to drugs

The University of the West of England was one of three universities to take part in the pilot

A university has been recognised for its strategy to reduce harm caused by drug and alcohol abuse on campus.

The University of the West of England (UWE) was part of a two-year pilot which prioritised students' health and safety over criminal punishment.

The University of Leeds and Keele University also took part in the pilot.

The president of UWE's student union said the scheme aimed to ensure "students have safe, healthy, and fun experiences".

Rania Regaieg said the university was "thrilled to have received this new accreditation mark, recognising our harm reduction approach for drugs, including alcohol".

To be officially accredited by student-led education charity SOS-UK, the universities had to complete 53 steps, beginning with researching drug and alcohol use at their institutions.

'Fear of punishment'

Tracy Lumb, senior project manager for wellbeing at SOS-UK, said: "There is always this misconception that harm reduction is condoning drug use, and it's not."

Part of the scheme was making sure students were aware of the risks and the situations that can increase risk, such as mixing substances.

"Ultimately we are talking about adults and it's about giving them that information so they can make an informed choice about their own health," Ms Lumb added.

Research found around 40% of students would not feel confident sharing information about their drug use to their college without fear of punishment, Ms Lumb said.

SOS-UK says the programme is "not about condoning drugs"

The universities developed a range of policies aimed at reducing harm - for example, UWE added an in-house senior drug and alcohol practitioner to its wellbeing team.

Measures taken at other universities included a peer-led support scheme and wellbeing representatives at events to identify students in need of help.

Ms Lumb said the programme was also about getting "good quality" information to casual drug users who may not believe they have a problem.

SOS-UK hopes more universities will adopt the harm reduction approach to drug and alcohol abuse among students.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]