Drugs and alcohol

We are committed to providing a safe, healthy and productive working environment for all our students, staff and visitors. Our Student Charter clearly sets out what we all expect of each other. It recognises the importance of an effective partnership commitment, in which the University and its staff have professional obligations but where students are also responsible for themselves as learners and as individuals.

We expect all students to be aware that their conduct affects other students and reflects on the University, and to act accordingly. We are also all expected to be accountable for our actions and conduct. Cases of student misconduct involving drugs or alcohol will be investigated in accordance with our regulations for student conduct, and we will take disciplinary action where appropriate.

Our policy on drugs and alcohol is designed to reduce and prevent alcohol and drug problems within the student body.

Alcohol - If you are over 18 years old you are legally free to consume alcohol if you choose. However, you should also be respectful of fellow students who choose not to consume alcohol and mindful not to disturb flatmates or neighbours.

Drugs - It is a criminal offence to take, possess, manufacture or sell illegal drugs. We operate drug searches in our bars and venues, and across campus. If you are found to be in possession of drugs you will be subject to disciplinary procedures.

Looking after yourself and one another

Our advice is to drink sensibly to prevent the potentially harmful effects on your mental and physical health, as well as relationships and your studies.

Knowing your limits, when to stop and letting your friends know when they have had too much can be a good way to protect yourself and your friends.

You should never feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to. It’s your choice.

You should respect the people you live with and their choices about drinking as well as being mindful not to disturb flatmates and neighbours.

Getting support for alcohol and drugs

Speak to our Student Welfare team if you are concerned about yourself or another student
Get free confidential support from RSU Advice Service
You can also speak to your GP or find support, information and advice from a variety of organisations, including Change, Grow, Live, Frank, NHS, Rehabs UK

Stay Informed

Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol safety tips

If you're heading out for the night and you plan to drink, there are a couple of simple things you can do to stay in control and ensure you have a great time:

- Have a meal before you go out and grab some snacks between drinks. This helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol, helping you stay in control.

- Sip a glass of water between drinks to stay hydrated and slow down your alcohol consumption over the course of the night – or even better, switch between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

- Avoid drinking each drink too quickly.

- Keep track of how much you are drinking.

- Consider non alcoholic options – there are a lot of refreshing and tasty zero alcohol or very low alcohol content drinks on the market now.

- If you are heading round to a friend’s for pre-drinks, try and avoid drinking too much too quickly as this can really have an impact later on in the evening. You may even find that your night ends early if you’re not permitted entrance to a club for being too drunk.

Read more about alcohol safety on the FRANK website.

Drink spiking

Never leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know – there could be a chance that it’s been spiked. Spiking someone’s drink is a serious crime and should be reported immediately.

Here are some ways to keep yourself safe from spiking:

- Stay alert and aware – always be mindful of your surroundings and the people around you.

- Keep an eye on your drink – never leave your drink unattended.

- Avoid accepting drinks from strangers – if you do accept a drink, make sure it is served directly by the bartender and handed to you unopened.

- Cover your drink – using drink covers or your hand to cover your drink can prevent substances from being slipped into it.

- Stick to bottled or canned beverages – these are harder to tamper with.

- Watch out for your friends – looking out for each other is crucial. If a friend has had their drink spiked they may say they feel sick, be confused, start acting in an unusual way, seem drunker than expected, have visual issues, a loss of balance or start to vomit.

Read more about staying safe from spiking on the FRANK website.

Drug awareness

Go to www.talktofrank.com for honest information about drugs and the dangers of taking drugs.

There are lots of reasons why people take drugs and if you’re at university you may hear about or be around people who are taking drugs like MDMA/Ecstasy, Ketamine, Cocaine or Nos. These kind of drugs are often called ‘recreational’ but this doesn’t mean they are for recreation or recommended.

If you’ve not taken drugs before then there’s no reason to start – but it is important to understand the risks of taking drugs. Keep in mind that mixing alcohol with any drug will always increase the risk. And if you then go on to mix other drugs then there are a number of different effects you may experience on your body and mind. Look on FRANK Drugs A-Z to read about the risks.

Ketamine, counterfeit medicines and adulterated THC vapes

The government has launched a new campaign to alert young people to the dangers of ketamine, counterfeit medicines and adulterated THC vapes.

Taking ketamine, synthetic opioids or deliberately contaminated THC vapes risks irreparable bladder damage, poisoning and even death. There has been a record eight times more people requiring treatment related to ketamine use since 2015.

Watch this video to see the damage ketamine can cause.

Watch this video to find out more about the dangers of synthetic opioids.

The law

It is illegal to consume, produce, supply or possess most recreational drugs and psychoactive substances in the UK. If you’re an international student the laws around drugs in the UK may be different to what you’re used to at home. The penalties if you are caught can be significant and may have an impact on your life in the future.

Getting help with drug or alcohol use

Your doctor is a good place to start if you’re looking for support. They can help to refer you to more specialist drug and alcohol services or go to FRANK to get help to find support near you that provides counselling and treatment in England. If you’re not ready to speak to a medical professional or specialist service, you can talk to an advisor at your Student Union or Welfare Officer who can support and signpost you to further guidance. You can find their advice pages here. The Students’ Union also have a Welfare Directory which provides lots of information on organisations that you may find helpful if you’re worried about addictive behaviours.

If you’re worried about anything to do with drugs or alcohol and want to talk to FRANK in confidence about yourself or about a friend, then you can call the helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0300 123 6600 or you can chat online between 2pm and 6pm every day.

Get more information on www.talktofrank.com and Freshers week: how to be safe and still have a good time away from home | FRANK

How can I stay below the recommended guidelines?

Here are our tips for cutting down your alcohol intake before and during a night out:

When pouring spirits at home, use a lined glass or standard shot glass to measure your portion
Keep track of how many units you’re drinking and set aside specific ‘drink free days’ each week
Consider swapping your usual drink for a smaller or lower strength option
Try an alcohol-free beer or 0% spirit (available in most supermarkets and at many of our bars on campus)
Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks

How much is too much alcohol?

The NHS recommends adults should consume no more than 14 ‘units’ of alcohol per week on a regular basis to keep health risks to a low level.

Download an infographic showing alcohol units for popular drinks.

Type of drink	Number of alcohol units
Single small shot of spirits (25ml, ABV* 40%)	1 unit
Alcopop (275ml, ABV 5.5%)	1.5 units
Small glass of wine (125ml, ABV 12%)	1.5 units
Standard glass of wine (175ml, ABV 12%)	2.1 units
Large glass of wine (250ml, ABV 12%)	3 units
Bottle of lager/beer/cider (330ml, ABV 5%)	1.7 units
Can of lager/beer/cider (440ml, ABV 5.5%)	2 units
Pint of lower strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%)	2 units
Pint of higher strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 5.2%)	3 units

*AVB = Alcohol by Volume. This is used to measure the alcohol content in different alcoholic drinks.

Please see our Drugs & Alcohol Policy