There are two claims here, that drugs cause problems for the user, and also for society in terms of crime.
1) Drugs causing problems for the user. This is nice for someone to be concerned about, but as adults you make your own decisions regarding alcohol, sex, tattoos, job choices etc. Things that can have a big impact further down the line.
2) Drugs contributing to criminality in wider society. Committing crimes while high are still crimes, and while I think they should be an exacerbating rather than mitigating factor, I don't think it makes sense to ban them. Sure, boot the student out of university if they commit crimes while high, but if they're doing nothing (else) wrong then they're not hurting anyone. In terms of supply line, that's a result of the government's idiocy in criminalising drugs, forcing it underground. It's like the Prohibition, best solved by legalising but taxing it.
More education would be nice. People are going to take drugs regardless, the fact that they're illegal means nothing. Educating people properly on the risks associated with and what to do when something goes wrong would go a long way I think. Encouraging drug testing kits wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Prohibition is the real crime.
I see no value in a survey that groups substances as different as crack and cannabis together and provides no option for the respondent to give different answers for their views on each. It's like asking "Do you like wind?" and assuming the answers provide an accurate picture of attitudes towards both hurricanes and gentle breezes.
So... while I'd definitely support a tougher line on crack and meth, I couldn't care less if a university (or society as a whole) lets people smoke cannabis.
A stronger line? Now that isn’t going to help anyone.
got a few things to say: firstly, some UNI take drugs a lot more seriously than other, i know in some uni sniffer dogs are bought into uni accommodation (Northumbria uni) , police involved ect, if drug use if suspected. one of my mates had these sniffer dog come into his accommodation and a guy ended up getting arrested but just got a fine, for some weed and a pill of MDMA.. i mean uni kinda ****ed him there tbh, but he only got a fine, since I guess the police there are so used to it. My uni at hall, where my mates lived, most the rooms had balconies and there was definitely a strong smell of weed throughout the year in around a large halls complex that house 3k + first years . the wardens of the halls, didn’t allow smoking on balconies at all and there was a fine, never actually implement.
My other point, from recent polls, from not the best sources, show drug use at most uni’s is still high and from my experience at uni, its still high; maybe not as high as before, but still high. So why add harsher punishment and how will they even police it. People the war on drugs is over and if you wanna go for someone go for the major supplier not some student who doesn’t need the start of his life ruined.. come on.
And like someone else said, as a chemist I got to question why drugs is lumped, there are soft and hard drugs, some fully legal in many countries. Also who gets to decide what is a drug society can’t take and other cant. I mean as a ex-smoker nicotine is a horrible foul addictive drug, but still legal.
I think they should carry out more searches on accommodation to ensure that there are no drugs there. It can be an invasion of privacy but unless you have something to hide I don’t see the problem.
When I was in first year, a lad on my floor in halls was a frequent drug user. There were several people who dabbled with drugs (and this was perfectly benign), but this lad was addicted and needed help. He failed his first-year exams and for the next year transferred to a less "academic" uni; there he continued with his drug taking, OD'd and died shortly into his first year there.
For him, I don't think banning drugs would have worked. Any form of strong opposition would not work. He needed some support with his addiction and that can only come from more robust wellbeing and MH support across our unis; an accepting mind where he would know he could talk to someone at the uni without thinking he was jeopardising his place at the uni.
76% of students have not taken illegal drugs at Uni? I find that very hard to believe.
Honestly it is not the responsibility of Universities to clamp down on drugs. They are dealing with adults who can make their own choices, and I also don't understand how they are going to enforce it. Are they going to hire more security to check people are not taking drugs? Are they going to search people? I am sure that the vast majority of drug usage is done off of campus. People have the right to a private life. There is no way of enforcing this. Anyone that thinks that Universities need to take more action is silly.
Yes, in our contract it says that anyone doing illegal drugs will be (something like evicted i cant remember the exact words) yet people smoke weed in the middle of the day hanging out of their windows and no-one bats an eyelid.
Not sure what the uni could do about that cos is technically private accommodation that is just recommended by the uni, not sure the uni owns it anymore.
Weed stinks and is gross yet it's somehow acceptable at unis
Poll: Should universities take a stronger line on drugs?
Go to first unread
