Hopefully by now you know that the university has a harm reduction policy and approach to drugs and alcohol. But just in case you don’t, let’s do a quick recap!
Our harm reduction approach aims to prioritise your welfare and wellbeing by providing you with the knowledge to be safe when using drugs including alcohol. We do this by offering UWE Bristol’s Drugs and Alcohol Service to students who would like to discuss their substance use with a professional, as well as sharing harm reduction advice and guidance.
But what does a harm reduction approach actually look like on campus?
First, you might have seen our harm reduction posters and digital screens as you’re walking around campus. We created these to share harm reduction information and make sure you know what our Drugs and Alcohol Service offers and how they can help.
By having these displayed across our campuses, not just in spaces you might expect (they’re even in the library) we want you to know we have a harm reduction approach, to hopefully eliminate any barriers to you accessing support.
So, what support is available on campus?
Becky works across all three campuses, offering a range of 1-2-1 support, from a one-off session to longer more structured programmes over 6 appointments.
Where appropriate, she can also support you to access community drug and alcohol services such as Bristol Drugs Project or Developing Health and Independence.
As part of UWE Bristol’s partnership with Avon & Somerset Police, students who are caught with substances in university accommodation, will also attend a Drug Education Programme run by Becky. This allows us to tailor the educational session to our student community and prioritise the information and advice which is relevant for them.
What about events?
If you’ve attended Freshers Fair in the last couple of years, you might have met our Drugs and Alcohol Practitioner Becky. Becky attends all kinds of events throughout the year including the accommodation fair and summer ball.
Between her and the Students’ Union, they also run a number of drugs and alcohol specific events such as Drink Rethink, our informal pop-up to help you learn more about your drinking habits and receive helpful and judgement free information!
Resources
If you're looking to research the risk to reduce the harm you can check out our 'Drugs and Alcohol' pages on the SU website where we have lots of helpful links and videos to help you make informed decisions.