We don’t cover drugs in isolation: we deal with the law, sexual assault and consent, mental health, civic responsibility and how to look out for your mates.

Drugs - effects, harms, personal vulnerability, reducing harm. The basics in simple language: pharmacology, receptors, dose-related risk, psychiatric and physical health conditions that increase vulnerability and evidence-based harm reduction.

The Law - including history and application. Delivered by a lawyer, PhD student and a retired senior police officer, we cover UK drug classification and penalties for possession and supply, the law in practice for those at university and the history of international and UK drug laws.

Drugs and sex - The effects of different drugs on sexual function and pleasure and their link with high-risk behaviours. We cover alcohol, chem sex, drugs and stimulants – and the problems that can arise.

Spiking - We dispel myths, share the facts and stress the role that alcohol plays. We encourage all to call out unacceptable behaviour – do something: distract, delegate and be direct.

Treatment - We describe the range of treatments that can be provided to support those with problems related to drug use, from medications to talking therapiesies and when they might be indicated and how to access them.

Your legal rights - Delivered by a lawyer, a PhD student and a retired senior police officer this answers questions submitted by students and covers your rights and what to do if you come into contact with the police.

How to chat to a mate you're worried about - Friends are often the first people to spot when things are getting out of control. Delivered by a student, we offer 10 top tips on how, when and where to have a conversation raising worries and concerns with someone you care about and how to help.

Intoxication and sexual consent - We discuss the definition of consent, how it works in practice, how intoxication can make people vulnerable, how consent is an ongoing process and how people can be respectful and aware.

Mental health - We discuss the links and common issues facing students and highlight the adverse effects substances can have on mental health, discuss self-medication, medication-drug interactions and how to stay happy and healthy.

Dealing with alcohol and drug emergencies - Delivered by experts in emergency medicine, this module was added at the request of students. We discuss how to avoid needing emergency treatment and demonstrate practical first aid when dealing with common situations including passing out, freaking out and becoming frightened and when and why to call 999.

Not using drugs at university - It’s about respect. We challenge the normalisation of drugs and emphasise that most people don’t ever use an illicit drug. We discuss why people choose not to use and how university as a novel setting may lead some to revise their preconceptions. We also challenge the stigma that some students may hold about the choices made by others.

Disrupting sexual assault: the 3Ds - We discuss how not doing anything about sexual assault is an active decision not to do anything. We want to encourage you to do something positive - to disrupt a situation where you see someone might be at risk. Distract, delegate and be direct are the 3Ds of disrupting sexual assault.

Ending up in the Emergency Department: risk factors after drug & alcohol use. People using more drugs more frequently and mixing their use, together with the potency and purity of the drugs can increase the risk factors. We discuss how combining these factors with the set and setting for taking drugs can increase risk of ending up in the Emergency Department.

The post-Covid drug scene in The UK 2023 - There have been changes in purity that can impact risk factors for use, so we discuss why it’s most important to know what you’re taking.

Civic responsibility - It’s about being respectful to others. We discuss thinking about how your alcohol and other drug use may impact others and how you can minimise this disruption in your household and community - like clearing up after yourself.

Women and drugs - From differences in physiology, metabolism and hormones to cultural expectations, stigma, barriers to treatment fertility and pregnancy, these modules provide knowledge to empower choices and optimise health and well-being for women who may choose to use drugs.

Neurodiversity - Covering the common neurodiverse conditions (ADHD and ASD) and the overlap between their symptoms with normal development and association with common mental health disorders and substance use, this module covers assessment, diagnosis and treatment and why early intervention can make a difference.

Gay men, sex, drugs and safety - Presented by an expert with over 20 years experience in harm reduction and advocacy for gay men’s health, covering the reasons why gay men use drugs, the particular health risks and challenges they may face, issues of HIV prophylaxis and how to reduce your risk of harm and keep yourself and your mates safe.

Gay and bisexual women and drugs - The presenters share their lived experience, and motivations of substance use within their community. They challenge cultural norms and discuss the barriers to accessing support, offering practical advice on how monitor your relationship with them and the impact they have upon your and your friends.

Coercive control, sexual assault and grooming - The presenters of this important module define the spectrum of sexual assault and discuss patterns of behaviour suggestive of grooming and coercive control. From abuse of power and risk of of physical and emotional harm, they discuss how to help a friend you’re worried about and where to get support.

Domestic/dating violence, controlling relationships - An expert in addiction and the link between substance use and domestic violence discusses the different forms of abuse from isolating, humiliating emotional control to financial and physical acts. She talks about warning signs, how to help a friend and what not to say. 

Alcohol - The drug most commonly used by university students. Often ignored but probably the drug responsible for the greatest personal and social harm.

Cannabis - Smoked, vaped and eaten, with more potent preparations and new therapeutic uses changing the landscape. Reducing tobacco use among this group is a key public health priority. We also cover the impact cannabis can have on studying and revising for exams and explore how cannabis use can affect the developing adolescent brain.

MDMA - A stimulant empathogen, snorted and swallowed. Education about risk, dosing and mixing with other substances is key.

Cocaine - A stimulant that is usually snorted. Higher purity and wider access are leading to increased rates of problem use and fatalities.

LSD / Magic Mushrooms / 2C-B / Other Psychedelics - A diverse group of potent, often long-lasting drugs, where the effect of dose, set and setting remain key areas for harm reduction.

Ketamine - A dissociative anaesthetic, typically snorted. Can exert profound dose related effects with risks of accidental harms and bladder damage.

Nitrous Oxide - Used within clinical medicine for over 150 years. Moderate use is common and relatively safe while higher does can cause disabling nerve damage.

Prescription medications - Opioids / Benzodiazepines - Sourced through legitimate prescription or access on the black market / dark net. Both can cause dependence and, especially in combination, overdose.

Amphetamine / Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth) - Synthetic stimulant drugs, often snorted or swallowed. Diverse functions from pleasure, performance to sex. Often assocaited with high-risk behaviours and physical / mental health harms.

Cognitive Enhancers / IPEDS / Steroids - Migrating from medicine to misuse, these drugs are often used without supervision to improve performance, cognitive ability and body image.

Chem Sex Drugs / GHB / Poppers / Mephedrone - A wide range of drugs used to facilitate social engagement and sexual performance. Can be associated with high risk sexual behaviours and can make those under the effects vulnerable to others.

NPS / Synthetic Cannabinoids - Encompasses drugs that seek to mimic existing traditional drugs such as cannabis and MDMA. Often more potent and more risky.

Heroin & Opioids / Crack - The drugs associated with criminality, overdose and death, with marginalisation and multiple co-morbid conditions often compounding the challenges faced by those who are dependent on these drugs.

Tobacco - Everyone is aware that inhaling smoke is bad for your health but nicotine dependence is the reason people smoke. Vaping could be a safer alternative.

Vaping - Straight talking science on the risks of vaping, who it’s best for, why it’s so much better than smoking and how to stop. From what’s in a vape to dependence, the risks and dispelling media myths and stressing why we need to challenge misperceptions among younger people. 

Novel psychoactive drugs (NPS) - No longer novel or legal, the increasing range of novel synthetic drugs can mimic any class of substance. With consumers often unaware that they are taking them, novel synthetic drugs are often more potent and difficult to titrate. This module offers scientific knowledge from an international expert and advice on how to reduce risk and know what you’re taking. 

Prescription drugs - Prescription medications are not without risk. Understanding the laws about possession and sharing prescriptions medications will help keep you on the right side of law and minimise the risk of harm to you and other people. Knowing where you obtain them from, starting to take them safely and understanding the interactions between different medications and alcohol / other drugs is vital to optimising benefits and reducing harms.

Psychedelics - clinical trials vs recreational use - Presented by an expert in psychedelics and clinical trials who understands the attraction of attempts at self medication. Walking through the structured processes that guide clinical trials and how they differ from recreational use, taking into account the pleasures of community , clubbing and community and why staying safe is so important. 

“The evaluation of the Staying Safe Programme at the two pilot universities (the University of Manchester and the University of South Wales) has highlighted impressive levels of knowledge gain, skills development, and awareness of drug-related harms among both students and university administrators. Students reported that the non-judgemental approach with which information is presented allowed them to make informed choices, with some expressing a desire to moderate their own use or to address use among their friends.”
DR WILL FLOODGATE
Leading NIHR Evaluation of Staying Safe

“There is a need for a quality, intelligent, informed Harm Reduction piece, and this course fulfils that need. The level of knowledge, the voices and the register in which it is spoken, together with the user-friendly feel of the modules, mean that individuals and students en masse will be helped to stay safe to an extent that was previously challenging.”
SPENCER DAVIES
Head of Advice & Response
The University of Manchester

“I really enjoyed the relaxed, conversational tone of the speakers in the videos. I felt that they were informative without being patronising, meaning it was easy to engage with the content. The information was always related back to relevant areas of student life, for example; the risks of drink-spiking, the importance of consent, how this is often the first time many people will have been exposed to drugs and advice on managing this, how certain drug-taking habits may impact academic performance.”
KATIE
Just finished BA

“I learnt a lot, which I think should be common knowledge. I wish that I could have done a course like this when starting university as I think it could have been very useful to learn about how to keep myself and my friends safe. I think the level at which the course was pitched was great, it was in no way judgemental or patronising, and it is for this reason that I think people are more likely to listen to the advice and guidance being given.
I liked that the course acted to de-bunk many common myths and helped remove stigmas surrounding drug use.
I liked the practical advise given throughout about how to reduce harms.”
LYDIA
Just finished BA

“I want to congratulate you on the videos. They really are outstanding. I really am impressed by the videos you created and the way you presented in them. ”
MIGUEL SOUSA
Media Support Manager
University of South Wales

“I particularly like how detailed the course is, although I don’t feel the information is overwhelming for students, it is just enough for students to enhance their awareness of drug-related problems. I think the course has a great balance of drug awareness and safety information while providing an overview of the history of drugs and drug law. I think it will equip students with the knowledge needed to make safe choices and apply their knowledge in their daily lives. I think it is really great to have detailed explanations on the drug types and harms associated as most students will not have had education relating to substance use.”
SHANE
Research Assistant / PhD Student

“The content of the Programme Instruction is well explained. Programme is well designed; easy to follow and very informative. It provides a good overview of the topic. This is great as students know what to expect from the start of the module. The idea of using 5-10 mins long videos to deliver the lectures makes is very easy to follow compared to the classic in class-lectures when you cannot simply pause the session or replay bits that are difficult to follow. Big thumbs up for this! Again, the use of Quizzes before and after the session it’s a great way to test the level of knowledge acquired after each module, as well the effectiveness of each module. The course requirements are very clear and succinct, easy to follow and very straight forward. (Great design!) Well done to the producers of the course! ”
DIANA
Research Assistant / PhD Student

Professor Adam R Winstock
MBBS, BSc, MSc, MRCP, MRCPsych, FAChAM, MD. Course Developer and Primary Trainer -

Adam is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Medicine Specialist. He is an Honorary Clinical Professor at University College London. He is an accomplished educator, public speaker, and internationally recognized expert in the areas of young people, drugs and nightlife.

He has published over 150 research papers and book chapters and has been delivering training to clinicians, law enforcement and hospitality staff for over 20 years. He is also a member of Drug Science Expert Committee. His practical, engaging and highly evaluated sessions have focused on raising drug awareness and recognising and responding to risks associated with their use.

Jason Kew
Course Consultant and Trainer

Jason is a retired senior Police Officer and advocate for civil liberties, harm reduction and the appropriate implementation of laws to keep the public safe from harm. He has led the development of number of innovative drug strategies to reduce the risks of harm. He has expertise in violence reduction, drug diversion schemes and licensing and has worked with national police groups on innovative approaches to risk reduction.

He regularly sits on panels of events where he shares his knowledge on evidence based drug diversion, and on emerging schemes in the UK, such as at a recent side event held by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Dr Alex Aldridge
Course Consultant and Trainer

Is a lecturer at Birkbeck University and has just completed her PhD in drugs and sex. Offering extensive experience in social media and expertise in delivering sexual consent courses at schools and universities, Alex has an ability and the expertise to communicate with young people in areas where other presenters may find it hard to achieve their natural authenticity and relevance.