The use of recreational drugs and speaking openly about drugs is a conversation that people don’t ever want to talk about, especially when an institutions reputation can come into question. It is a known fact that the majority of students will come into contact with drugs at some point of their student life, but how universities deal with students depends on their own drug policy. This raises the question of is it too harsh to kick someone out of their university halls when they get caught with illegal substances and if universities are more lenient with their drug policies, does this mean they are promoting or supporting the use of illegal substances?
The National Union Student created a survey to learn more about student’s attitudes surrounding their experiences of drugs. The research includes the insight of attitudes, environments, and impacts of student drug use. The research was conducted because they were “concerned at institutions discplinary policies that seemed more focused on punishment than support, and we are devastated at the handful of drug related deaths and injuries that have happened on campuses”.
Release, “the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law” also helped with their research and created a policy analysis which assessed education institutions’ drug policies and how they are applied. The NUS, as well as Release are breaking the taboo connected to drug taking within student culture. Their findings highlight both positive and negative impacts on students lives. One of their main findings is that treating the problem of drug taking and trying to solve it through punishment doesn’t give a true representation of the reality of the student ‘drug taking culture’.
They also found that their student’s attitudes and awareness of their institutions drug policy was a mixture of knowing and not knowing what it consists of. 35 per cent were aware of their policy, 51 per cent were not aware of their policy and 14 per cent said they did not know. As the survey shows, students were not aware of their educational institution’s drug policy, therefore a ‘zero tolerance policy’ will have little effect in deterring students from taking drugs. They also found that students are more against universities punishing students for drug use, with 47 per cent of respondents agreeing that universities should not punish students who take drugs. This shows that students are aware of how damaging it can be if you are caught with drugs on their record and they would prefer that their institution adopts a less punitive approach to student drug use.
It is understandable that parents, grandparents and loved ones get worried about what their children get up to at university and the policies that are seen as more lenient come into question. However, for peace of mind, isn’t it better that students are experimenting with drugs in a safe environment, with people that they know, rather than a place they are not familiar with. The survey found that 86 per cent of respondents who have used drugs have done so in their accommodation. With a further 14 per cent of students saying they have consumed drugs daily in their student accommodation.
Back in 2016, Newcastle University changed their drug policy from a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to a more lenient approach with students who were caught in their owned or managed accommodation. It was altered so that first time offenders would no longer be evicted from their halls, providing that they agree to not do it again on university owned property. Nevertheless, if the student is caught with any drug on university owned accommodation for a second time, they have to pay a termination charge, alongside finding somewhere else to live.
Paul Bandeen, Head of Residence at Newcastle University has said:
“the main points to note are that it is no longer a ‘zero tolerance’ stand but more tailored to take into account different types of incident.”
Further going on to say that “at the moment, all institutions are facing similar issues with both legal and illegal substance abuse”. However, in the media we never see institutions such as universities stating their stances on drug taking. If they are facing issues with substance abuse, why don’t institutions speak openly about what can be done to help young students.
Another positive aspect from the change in policy at Newcastle University is that addiction problems have been underlined as an important issue to tackle. Students are also offered substance abuse help in the case if they need it. Stay On The Safe Side have recognised the severity of this issue and created a short video on how to deal with addiction and where you can get help from.
A fourth year university student in Newcastle, who was caught in their first year of university with class B drugs in their halls of residence in the academic year of 2014/2015 told Stay On The Safe Side his opinion on his university drug policy:
During the 2014/15 academic year at Newcastle University, there were 17 student contracts that were terminated for breach of the zero tolerance drugs policy. When the policy changed from zero-tolerance to a more passionate policy, the academic years of 2016/17, 58 students were dealt with under the zero tolerance policy. In this academic year of 2017/18, those numbers have more than doubled as they have dealt with 145 students. As those figures have more than doubled, could that show that students don’t care as much if they are caught because they know they won’t be kicked out of their halls on their first offence. Does this mean that Newcastle University are being firmer with catching more students, or are students are being less careful?
Similar to Newcastle’s University’s old policy, Northumbria University’s Student Disciplinary Rules and Procedures state that the storage, use or supply of drugs and legal highs is not permitted in the University residences. Police will be involved if the use of any such items is discovered. It also states that if students at Northumbria halls of residence commit an offence, the University may have to consider the resident to be an unsuitable tenant, they may be asked to leave the premises permanently.
Third year Sport Management student Sam Swift, studying at Northumbria University told Stay On The Safe Side:
“I think my universities drugs policy should be slightly more lenient. I don't think you should be kicked out of university for possession of drugs as its each to their own in their free time. I do however believe the use of drugs at university or the selling of drugs from university property such as student accommodation deserves harsher punishments.”
The NUS survey found that in the 2016/17 academic year, there were at least 2,067 recorded incidents of student misconduct for possession of drugs. Many were settled through a formal warning or another type of sanction. Only one in four incidents (531) were reported to the police. There were 21 permanent exclusions from university for possessing a drug for personal use. This shows that the nature of this subject is difficult to truly understand and gain real perspectives because of the connotations connected to drugs and people who use drugs. We wont truly know whats goes on behind closed doors at institutions when reporting how many students get caught and how many get punished for drug taking. As essentially, a lot of students do drugs, but also don’t get caught doing it.
Of course, Stay On The Safe Side are by no means promoting drug use, but if young people want to try things out, making sure they do it safely is our priority. Whether it be consuming masses amounts of alcohol, smoking or taking drugs, the student life style that young adults embody cannot be changed as it is an inescapable part of growing up. Being lenient with drug policies can help students feel like its okay to ask for help if something was to ever go wrong, rather than have to suffer in silence.