One in eight universities still have ¡°zero tolerance¡± policies on student drug use while only a small minority have adopted interventions such as distributing drug testing kits on campus amid a ¡°lingering stigma¡± over the issue.

A year on from the publication of the final report of Universities UK¡¯s drugs task force that recommended institutions move towards ¡°harm reduction¡± strategies, Freedom of Information requests by charity SafeCourse have found a third have already adopted such policies, which focus on awareness raising instead of punitive measures.

A further third say they are in the process of reforming their polices while 13 per cent say they have retained a zero-tolerance stance.

This, according to the charity ¨C founded in memory of Daniel Mervis, a student at St John¡¯s College, Oxford, who died from an overdose in 2019 ¨C leaves students ¡°vulnerable¡± as it may deter them from seeking help.

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SafeCourse has published legal advice that says universities adopting zero-tolerance policies ¡°face greater risks of negligence claims¡± and ¡°may breach duties of care to students¡±.

Authored by barristers Victoria Wakefield and Tim Johnston of Brick Court Chambers, it adds that universities adopting but failing to implement harm reduction policies are similarly exposed to legal challenges.

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The charity asked all 144 members of Universities UK about their uptake of other key recommendations of the task force.

Nearly half say they provide drug education programmes and three-quarters offer confidential support.

But only 11 per cent say they offer drug testing services, with a further 7 per cent saying this was in development. Fourteen per cent retain automatic sanctions for students caught taking drugs.

The findings show a greater willingness to engage with the issue, SafeCourse said, but there was still ¡°uneven progress¡±.

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Larger universities were found to have more comprehensively implemented the interventions while smaller and specialist institutions often flagged resource constraints.

At some institutions, responses revealed a ¡°lingering stigma around drug use and continuing focus on reputation¡±, SafeCourse said.

Hilton Mervis, the founder of the charity and father of Daniel, said the legal advice the charity has published should be a ¡°wake-up call for universities¡±.

Daniel¡¯s death led a coroner to criticise zero-tolerance policies and Hilton said they ¡°don¡¯t stop drug use, they drive it underground, putting students at greater risk¡±.

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¡°Harm reduction policies aim to actively reduce drug use, save lives and protect universities from liability. It¡¯s time for all institutions to act and stop zero action which leaves students at risk.¡±

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com