We are pleased to invite Joanna Bright, AJ Martin, and Hanna Head to speak at this event. Joanna and AJ are PhD students at KCL and QMUL respectively, as well as members of several drug harm reduction advocacy groups such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Drug Science Student Society Network. In recent years, they have both been project leads for the Benzo Research Project, a grassroots initiative seeking to understand the underlying factors contributing to benzodiazepine use among young people. Their mission centres on advocating for a re-evaluation of current strategies to address drug use by young people, emphasising the need for context-based harm reduction methods and expanded educational opportunities amongst other important initiatives.

Read their latest report, The Benzo Research Project: An evaluation of recreational benzodiazepine use amongst UK young people (18-25) which offers a qualitative analysis based on the experiences of 73 anonymous young people (aged 18-25) who have firsthand experience with non-medical benzodiazepine use in the UK. Findings highlighted that many young people are using benzodiazepines as a way of supporting poor mental health, and so it is imperative that universities support students with their mental health, as a mechanism for reducing harms associated with problematic drug use.

Hanna, also a member of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, is a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, working alongside the charity Release to explore innovative police approaches to reducing drug related harms. She chaired the Universities UK Student Advisory Panel for the project on student drug use and continues to work on campaigning for sensible drug education and policies in higher education institutions.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which neither condones nor condemns drug use, is an international grassroots network of students and young people, led by students and young people who are advocating for policy reform on the local, national, continental and global level. SSDP promotes youth civic engagement as a critical tool in reforming drug policy and combating harms perpetuated by the war on drugs.

This session offers a valuable opportunity to interact with students working within the harm reduction space to explore their insights, research findings, and recommendations. It also provides a platform for meaningful discussions around barriers to harm reduction policy within universities and to explore actionable steps you can adopt.

Pre-event Info

In the lead up to the event, it would be helpful to look into how your institution deals with and responds to student drug use. This could be in the form of a Student or University Drug Policy, but it could also differ in different departments and not have a centralised policy. If you struggle to find information, imagine how your students feel!

Relevant info could come from:

Wellbeing policies
Accommodation policies
Disciplinary policies
Student charters
Welcome information

A range of additional resources on the topic can be found here, none are essential reading but they will help shape your understanding of key terms and discussions before the event.

UMHC Online Insight-Sharing Event: Mental Health and Drug Use