During Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Week (27 November to 1 December 2023) The Students' Union highlighted key harm reduction information for drugs including alcohol.
To celebrate Student Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week 2023, we took this week as an opportunity launch our Harm Reduction Campaign.
We hope you have spotted them across campus? Our hope is we can create an environment where speaking about drugs including alcohol is no longer paired with fear of judgement or punishment.
Our wonderful Student Life Team worked in collaboration with The Students’ Union as well as our partners at NUS Drug and Alcohol Impact to deliver a brief alcohol intervention to students on their lunch break, completing a short survey. This year we doubled our Drink/Rethink Intervention engagement with a total of 206 students taking part!
You took part in SOS-UK Drug and Alcohol Survey - we do this each year to gain insight and understanding to the ever-changing landscape of student drug use. When we get the results in January this information will inform how we deliver messaging and services for the year ahead!
Take part in the SOS-UK Drugs Survey and be in with the chance of winning £100 (thestudentsunion.co.uk)
We launched the second video of this year's Let’s Talk About Drugs series – focusing on Drug Checking options available to you! Keep an eye out for more Let’s Talk About Drugs Videos next term and if you’ve got a topic you’d like us to talk about let us know by emailing sucommunity@uwe.ac.uk!
Mixing drugs and alcohol
In this article, SPACED explore the interactions between alcohol and common drugs used by the student population.
Whether you don't drink alcohol or choose not to drink regularly, meeting people and socialising at University can feel daunting. Find out more in this article.
If you’re thinking of spiking someone ……..you shouldn’t. Drink spiking is illegal and a serious crime. It carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison. Read our article.
Don't be misled by the media We are bombarded with images in the media showing students drinking alcohol all the time, but only 9% of students report getting intentionally drunk more than once a week. Find out more.
We understand that some of our students will choose to use cocaine, despite knowing the dangers that go along with it. The Students’ Union and UWE Bristol hope that those UWE students who do choose to use cocaine, are given the opportunity to make an informed decision and know how to reduce some of the risks associated with illegal drug taking.
There is so much you can do in Bristol that does not involve alcohol; have a look at our tips on how to have a sober night out, read about the ways that alcohol can affect your mental health, as well as your academic achievement and find out all the amazing alcohol-free nights you can have in Bristol!
Main photo: Nastya Dulhiier on Unsplash